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Pollinator Patch: Volunteer for the love of pollinators

Pollination Canada has a couple of events coming up that we'd like to not only draw your attention to, but even request some help with! As you are likely aware, pollinators provide us with a third of our tasty foods and beverages. However, declines have been noted in recent years, in both the managed honeybee industry, and in native wild pollinator populations. Multiple stressors contribute to these declines: habitat loss, chemical use, pests, disease and climatic shifts. Habitat destruction - including loss of nesting and mating sites as well as diversity of food sources from flowering native plants - all contribute to the decline of pollinators. By plowing, digging, cutting, paving and chemically spraying unwanted vegetation, we destroy the sites where wild bees make their homes.

Canada Blooms, the Flower and Garden Festival, is happening in Toronto from Wed March 19-Sun March 23rd. The theme is WILD this year - wildflowers and pollinators!

We are looking for volunteers to take shifts at our booth at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. Being a volunteer allows you free entrance to the show - individually or in pairs! The show is open 10am-9pm (with shortened hours the last Sunday). If volunteering is something you are willing and able to do, please contact Kim with your name, names of any accompanying friends, and preferences for time slot(s) by emailing info(at)pollinationcanada.ca.

A little further off, International Pollinator Week occurs June 16th-23rd, 201. Have any ideas for a local community event? Want to plant a roadside pollinator patch, show a film, organize a walk in a wildflower meadow? If you are planning an event, be sure to let Pollinator Partnership pollinate that message via their event listing, and contact us too. We may be able to provide some handout material. Email info(at)pollinationcanada.ca for more details.

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