High Country Gardens: A Sponsor of the Pollinator Partnership

by High Country Gardens

High Country Gardens is a 2015 sponsor of the Pollinator Partnership.

Working throughout North America, this non-profit organization is dedicated to the protection of pollinators and their ecosystems.

The Pollinator Partnership's website explains why we should all be concerned about the health of pollinators: “Many pollinator populations are in decline and this decline is attributed most severely to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats. Pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease, and changes in climatic patterns are all contributing to shrinking and shifting pollinator populations. In some cases there isn’t enough data to gauge a response, and this is even more worrisome.”

The organization supports creating and protecting pollinator habitat, and promotes the importance of pollinators through a number initiatives in government and industry, consulting, public outreach programs. This includes initiatives to protect the Monarch butterfly and educational outreach efforts such as the Bee Smart School Garden Kit.

Monarch butterfly on Echinacea.

Practical Tips to Help Pollinators

By visiting the Pollinator Partnership website, you can find practical information geared toward gardeners and farmers, including a variety of simple conservation techniques that you can use in your own back yard. The Pollinator Partnerships has the following suggestions to help pollinators:

• Reduce pesticide use.
• Supply salt or mineral licks for butterflies and water for wildlife.
• Install houses for bats and native bees.
• Replacing lawns with flower beds or groundcovers.
• Choosing native plants for your landscape.
• Make sure your garden has blooms all season long.
• If you’ve planted a vegetable garden, make sure to plant flowers around near your veggies to draw pollinators, ensuring better crop production.

For more information, you can visit their website at: Pollinator.org. You can download a Selecting Plants For Pollinators Guide for your region by visiting: Pollinator.org Native Pollinator Garden Recipe Cards.