Gardening is an interactive and rewarding way to spend time outdoors with your family. It provides an opportunity to get fresh air and sunshine while teaching kids about the function and purpose of different garden types, including some that are especially important for wildlife and the environment.
Pollinator gardens are generating a lot of “buzz” these days as a way of putting a patch of your yard to work for nature. They specifically incorporate native “host” plants and other features that create habitats, food sources and nesting opportunities for beneficial insects. Building even a small one with your kids is a satisfying, hands-on project highlighting the important role busy bees, elegant butterflies and other species play in our everyday lives.
Did you know that nearly 80% of the 1,400 food crop plants grown require pollination by insects or animals? And 75 percent of all flowering plants, too. Without pollinators, people and nature would not survive.
New Jersey is home to thousands of pollinator species, including 350 native bee species like the American bumblebee. Our state is also a seasonal migratory destination for monarch butterflies and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Birds and bats can play a role in pollination as well. Unfortunately, many of these species are struggling due to habitat loss, pollution and other challenges.
In New Jersey, The Nature Conservancy has been protecting land since 1955, and specifically managing habitats for pollinators at our preserves since 2013. At Garrett Family Preserve, we transformed a four-acre fallow field into a wildflower meadow teeming with common milkweed, seaside goldenrod and other native plants that provide food and resting space for pollinators. We mow strategically so the habitat’s resources are seasonally maximized, and built and installed a large insect hotel on site. At Lummis Ponds Preserve, TNC planted more than ten acres with common milkweed, the host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars. It is estimated to be among the largest stands of milkweed in New Jersey, with more than 400,000 individual plants!
But YOU can help pollinators, too, by planting a flowery garden in your yard, or even in containers on the porch or patio. June is the perfect time—it’s National Pollinators Month! Kids will love getting into the dirt, watching the flowers bloom and monitoring the species that show up every day.
For extra pollinator support, consider adding a water feature. Have your kids place marbles or pebbles into a shallow bowl or container. Add enough water so the pebbles are only partially submerged; this will give pollinators a safe place to land while they enjoy some refreshing H2O. Situate the container in a sunny spot in your pollinator garden (pollinators love to bask in the sun) and enjoy watching the action.
Don’t forget lodging as another element of pollinator hospitality! Kids can get crafty by creating pollinator hotels using simple materials found in nature and around the house. The completed project will give your youngsters a smile and beneficial insects a place to nest.
Though pollinator gardens are not difficult to make, there are some important elements to consider before putting shovel to ground, such as native plant selection, plot location and more. Sign up to receive our guide to creating a backyard pollinator garden.
Sign up for the latest conservation news and updates in New Jersey from the Nature Conservancy.
Donate to The Nature Conservancy.
Read More:
10 Tips for Hiking With the Kids
Birds of NJ: Figure Out What’s In Your Backyard
You and Your Family Can Learn to Live More Sustainably
Foraging is a Fun Nature Activity to Try with Kids