Pollinators
The County is dedicated to fostering healthy habitats for pollinators and promoting healthy and sustainable horticulture practices. Join us as we cultivate growth, nurture biodiversity and create a welcoming environment for all living things, big and small, who call the County of Brant their home.
On this page:
Pollinator Week - June 16 to 22, 2025
Join us during pollinator week as we host events in your community celebrating and talking about the importance of pollinators!
Pollinate and Plant
- Thursday, June 19, 2025
- 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- Scotland-Oakland Library branch
Learn how to identify pollinators such as hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Discover plants that support pollinators, and get your hands dirty as we create a potted arrangement of flowers and herbs.
- All materials provided, wear comfortable clothing that can get dirty
- Participants will take home their pollinator pots at the end of the program
- Registration required
- Please note: this program takes place prior to the branch open hours for Scotland-Oakland branch. The front door will be unlocked for attendees to reach the program room
Native Plant Sale
- Saturday, June 21, 2025
- 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Jury Street Park, Paris
Join the Grand Erie Master Gardeners and come browse a large variety of native plants, assorted sizes. Many have been started from seed and cared for by our own Master Gardeners.
Some species that will be available are:
- Spotted St John’s Wort (Hypericum punctatum)
- Golden Alexander (Zizea aurea)
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
- Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida)
- Canada columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- Common Ninebark (Physiocarpus opulifolius)
- Large Leaved Aster (Eurybia maerophyllaw)
- Kalm’s St John’s Wort (Hypericum kalmianum)
- Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata)
- Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Smooth Blue Aster (Symphotrichum laeve)
- Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
- Wild Senna (Cassia hebacarpa)
- False Blue Indigo (Baptisia australis)
- Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
- Heart leaved aster (Symphotrichum cordifolium)
- New England Aster (Symphotrichum novae-anlgais
- Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago ridgida)
About our Pollinators
Our pollinators play a crucial role in our food production and biodiversity, facing challenges like habitat loss.
| Bees |
| Essential for pollinating fruits, vegetables, and nuts, bees are key to our food supply. Honeybees use the "waggle dance" to tell hive mates where to find flowers, showing the sophistication of their social structure. |
| Butterflies |
| Not just beautiful, butterflies are important pollinators, especially for many flowers, thanks to their unique anatomy. |
| Hummingbirds |
| These birds are unique in their ability to hover, making them perfect for reaching deep into flowers to pollinate. |
| Beetles |
| As some of the first pollinators, beetles have been vital to the pollination of ancient plants for millions of years. |
| Special Relationships |
| Some plants and pollinators, like yucca plants with yucca moths, have evolved together, depending on each other for survival. |
| Food Production |
| With one-third of our food relying on pollinators, their role is crucial in global agriculture and our diet. |
Why are Pollinators threatened?
Pollinators face several threats, largely due to human activities:
- Habitat loss: Transforming natural areas into farms, cities, and other developments reduces and fragments the spaces where pollinators can live, feed, and reproduce.
- Pesticide use: Insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides can kill or harm pollinators directly, or indirectly by contaminating their food and disrupting their life cycles.
- Climate change: Shifts in weather and seasons can upset the timing and relationships between plants and pollinators and alter where pollinators can live.
- Disease and parasites: Illnesses and pests, like colony collapse disorder in bees or Varroa mites, weaken pollinators' health and reduce their numbers.
- Invasive species: Non-native plants can take over, pushing out the native plants that pollinators depend on for food and shelter.
5 Ways to Help Pollinators
Plant variety: Create bee-friendly habitats by growing native flowers, herbs, and plants in your garden or on your balcony, ensuring blooms throughout all seasons to provide continuous food for bees.
Avoid pesticides and herbicides: Avoid pesticides and herbicides; they harm pollinators. Instead, opt for organic gardening practices instead to keep bees safe.
Provide nesting sites: Offer a range of nesting options, like bare soil, bee hotels, and natural habitats, to accommodate different pollinator species.
Leave the leaves: Allow fallen leaves to stay in your garden. They offer shelter and food to pollinators, enriching your garden's ecosystem.
Advocate for bees: Support policies and initiatives that protect pollinators. Engage in community gardening projects and educate others on the importance of pollinators.
Get involved in community efforts to create pollinator-friendly gardens, educate others about the importance of pollinators, and raise awareness about threats facing bee populations. These actions can significantly support pollinator health and contribute to the preservation of these vital creatures.