It’s National Pollinator Week!
Let’s protect them together
Do you know why pollinators are important to protect? Birds, bees, butterflies, bats and beetles sustain the environment through pollination and are vital to our ecosystem. In fact, you may be surprised to learn pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat.
In honour of National Pollinator Week – which has been proclaimed from Monday, June 19 to Sunday, June 25 – the City of Vaughan is encouraging you to get involved!
Here are a couple of things you can do to help protect pollinators:
Plant a pollinator-friendly garden
Claim free seed packets to create pollinator-friendly outdoor spaces at your home. Native and pollinator-friendly species make a beautiful addition to any garden and can also help support busy pollinators as they do their jobs. The seed packets include planting instructions for best results and the following flower seeds:
- Golden Tickseed
- Lanceleaf Tickseed
- Blazing Star
- Helenium Autumnale
- New England Aster
- Common Milkweed
Request a seed packet by emailing environment@vaughan.ca with your full name and mailing address. Packets are available to Vaughan residents only and will be distributed by mail while supplies last.
Since 2018, Vaughan Council has remained committed to creating pollinator-friendly habitats through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. Under this pledge, the City has planted pollinator-friendly gardens at Vaughan City Hall, Vellore Heritage Square, Veteran’s Park and Doctors McLean District Park, in addition to undertaking many other pollination-related initiatives.
Get your kids involved
Protecting pollinators is not just for adults! Your kids can also join the week-long celebration with free, fun activities designed to help teach them about pollination and why these insects and birds are important. They include:
- an outdoor pollinator scavenger hunt (PDF)
- a pollinator crossword puzzle (PDF)
- a pollinator word search (PDF)
- a Whose Home? Interactive game to identify species at risk
- a pollinator-friendly cookbook (PDF)
Learn more about Vaughan’s pollinator projects and how to get involved on the Vaughan Pollinator Projects webpage.
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