SSEA and Tay Township are working together to bring awareness to National Pollinator Week

22 June 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(June 22, 2021) This June, the buzz is about the bees, butterflies, bugs, and birds pollinating our plants and what we can do to help protect them. To recognize the important services provided by pollinators, SSEA and Tay Township are working together to bring awareness to National Pollinator Week, an international celebration of pollinators happening June 21-27.

Pollinator populations have been declining at an alarming rate, and this includes the iconic Monarch butterfly, as well as important bee species. Pollinators such as Monarchs and other butterflies, as well as bees, birds, bats, and insects help move pollen from one plant to another, fertilizing food needed for people and wildlife. Up to 75% of plants, as well as the food we eat, depend on pollinators to grow. There are many problems facing pollinators, with a few of the biggest issues being habitat loss, misuse of pesticides, and climate change.

There are nearly 1,000 different pollinators in Canada alone, andnot only do pollinators provide us with the food we eat but they also help sustain our ecosystems by helping our native plants reproduce. In turn, these healthy ecosystems can absorb greenhouse gases, prevent soil erosion, protect water quality, and offer habitat for many important plants and animals. Tay Township has made a commitment to helping and supporting pollinators in their Municipal Climate Change Action Plan and during Pollinator Week, Tay is offering a free packet of native wildflower seeds for residents which can be picked up in the vestibule at the municipal office, 450 Park Street Victoria Harbour.

Here are some simple things everyone can do in their back yard to help our pollinators.

  1. Plant native flowers or trees in your yard. Our native pollinators have evolved along side our native plants, so they are better matched as food sources for them than cultivated or non-native species of plants.
  2. Pledge to not use chemicals in your garden. Commercially produced chemical herbicides and pesticides can harm both beneficial and unwanted insects in your garden. Planting plants such as mint, thyme and marigolds attract beneficial insects that will prey on typical garden pests.
  3. Education is the best tool in a gardener’s pocket! Check out Pollinator Partnership Canada’s website at www.pollinatorpartnership.ca and follow SSEA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Project Team on social media for more tips to be ‘bee-friendly’!  

Pollinator Week brings attention to the vital role that pollinators play in our food systems and in a healthy, resilient environment and the need to protect them. This June 21-27 celebrate Pollinator Week and follow SSEA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Project Team to learn even more about the bugs, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators that buzz about your backyard!

Follow the SSEA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Project Team on Facebook @sustainablesevernsound or Twitter @sustainsevsound, @ssea_ssrap and Instagram @severnsoundea.

Learn how you can get involved in Pollinator Week, visit: https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/pollinator-week-canada or

To find out more about the Bee City Canada Program, and to access pollinator information and resources, visit: https://beecitycanada.org/

Severn Sound Environmental Association

Tracy Roxborough

Sustainability and Climate Action Coordinator

489 Finlayson Street

P.O. Box 460

Port McNicoll, ON

L0K 1R0

705-534-7283 x206

www.severnsound.ca | www.sustainablesevernsound.ca 

About the Sustainable Severn Sound Project

Sustainable Severn Sound (SSS) is a special project of the Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA).  At SSEA, we are committed to ensuring exceptional environmental quality and exemplary stewardship of the Severn Sound area through sound science, collaboration, and partnerships. The objective of the SSS project is to advance the adoption of practices/policies within municipal operations to support climate change action, greenhouse gas mitigation, and sustainable communities

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