Pollinators like bees and butterflies are essential to our environment and our economy. They play an important role in the growth of trees, flowers and other plants around the world. In fact, about 85% of all flowering plants depend on them to produce fruits and seeds. According to Pollinator Partnership, pollinators are also responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat!

Beyond agriculture, pollinators provide many other benefits and vital ecosystem services in both rural and urban environments. They are considered key species, as their activities result in the growth of trees and other plants, which provide food and shelter for creatures large and small. In addition, they play another role in the food web, as they are also important prey for other species, such as birds and amphibians.

Protecting pollinators is an important issue for our communities. We need them to preserve food supplies, biodiversity of plant and animal species, and the functioning of ecosystems. Another important fact to note is that by supporting vegetation, pollinators help regulate the climate and control erosion along waterways.

In our region, native pollinators face the same threats as elsewhere. Scientists believe that loss of natural habitat for feeding and nesting, pesticides, exposure to pollution, pests, viruses and climate change are among the reasons for the continued decline in pollinator diversity and abundance. Despite all of this, there are ways to help pollinators. In the next few sections, you will discover how.

In May 2022 and 2023, residents were invited not to mow their lawns, or at least to let some of them grow. The many flowers attracted bees, which had just emerged from the ground.

These native insects, like burrowing bees, which hardly sting at all, only wait for spring to find food during their very short life cycle. They are very important pollinators, as are queen bumblebees, which also emerge in spring. 

This year, we can still do our part to help them by mowing less often, while observing the pollinators that visit us. Which of the 200 bee species found in the Maritimes are found in our yards? What flowers do they visit? Do we even have a few butterflies?

These questions help us learn more about the diversity of species that surround us. They also shed light on how to manage our yards.

Taking note of what we attract and what grows helps us decide when it’s time to mow. For example, we can observe factors such as when the flowers are maturing, to prevent the neglected appearance of dandelions whose seeds fly away. So you can chose to mow before these flowers spread everywhere.

Native plants at home web page

To mark the occasion, we’re also launching a web page called “Native plants at home,” because these same bees also need pollen from native trees and shrubs, some of which flower earlier than dandelions. They also need the native wildflowers that bloom at various times of the season.

Visit the web page to learn how to encourage these flowers in your yard, on your property or in your woodland understories, and enjoy the visit of many species of beneficial insects, which will also attract birds to your home.

Who Are the Pollinators?

Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, beetles, ants, hummingbirds and small mammals that feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers. In other parts of the world, even bats provide pollination! As they search for food, pollinators move from plant to plant, carrying pollen on their bodies. This allows the transfer of genetic material essential to the reproductive system of most flowering plants.

For millions of years, plants and pollinators have evolved together in this region, forming a mutually beneficial relationship. Although other creatures are also pollinators, it’s the insects like bees and butterflies that are better adapted to ensure the reproduction of the majority of native plants. In fact, there are over 800 native bee species in Canada, making them the main insect pollinators by far.

On the other hand, honeybees were brought here from other parts of the world. While their contribution is important to the agricultural sector and the provision of other products such as honey and wax, our native bees are best suited to pollinate local native plants. Along with other pollinators, native bees ensure the health of our local ecosystems, such as marshes that provide ecosystem services such as stormwater management.

Helping Pollinators Thrive

To sum it all up, pollinators are vital not only to our existence as human beings but to our planet. To maintain the diversity of our ecosystems, our region needs healthy native pollinator populations to ensure the production of the next generation of plants. Our food security also depends on it.

To complete their life cycle and thrive, pollinators need nectar, pollen and shelter that a wide variety of plants offer. The goal of this campaign is to provide information on how we can all participate in the conservation efforts that pollinators need. Let’s work together to help these essential creatures in our lives.

• Bees, butterflies and other pollinators depend on the diversity of plants, especially native flowers that grow in pesticide-free environments.
• Pollinators and native plants have evolved together to help each other. By adding a few native plants to your flower beds, you are directly contributing to the creation of habitats where they can feed and reproduce.
• Select a variety of plants that flower at different times so that there is a food source available for pollinators from spring through fall.
• Plant native trees like sugar maples and red oaks. They will flower in the spring and produce nectar for pollinators while providing habitat and food for birds and other animals.
• Some pollinators nest in dead plants and wood, or burrow into the soil. Leave some dead plants and leaves, wood logs and exposed soil around your garden.
• Mow the grass less often, perhaps every 2-3 weeks. Clover, dandelions and other flowers are good for pollinators.
• Place a shallow dish of water with a few stones so the pollinators can drink and not fall in. Remember to refill it often with fresh water.
• Buy or build a bee nesting box and make sure to maintain it.
• Talk with friends and teach children about what you’re doing to help pollinators.
• Share seeds, plants & gardening tips with neighbours & fellow gardeners.

This year, in an effort to create more habitat for pollinators in the region, flower gardens with some native species will be planted in each of the three municipalities. We will post updates of these gardens on this page.

We invite local citizens to set aside space in their flower beds for native flowers to help pollinators, and to contact us if they need more information. The goal is to have as many as possible in the coming years so that they form corridors for pollinators to have an abundant shelter and food source.

The New Brunswick Invasive Species Council (NBISC) Plant Wise Program helps gardeners and the (ornamental) horticulture industry to understand which plants are invasive and harmful to our communities. Their 60-page guide suggests native plant alternatives that are also beneficial to pollinators.

Pollinator gardens in the community!

In partnership with area watershed groups, schools, municipalities and other organizations, collective pollinator gardens are taking shape in the community.

Monarch Friendly City certification from the David Suzuki Foundation

In 2023, the municipalities of Shediac and Cap-Acadie received Monarch Friendly City certification from the David Suzuki Foundation in partnership with Nature NB. The certification confirms the two municipalities’ commitment to preserving the monarch butterfly’s habitat through concrete actions such as free milkweed distribution, seed collection, the creation of a demonstration garden and flowerbeds supporting the monarch, and the organization of various citizen activities. By taking part in this initiative, municipalities are part of a real butterfly effect.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation – HELPING MONARCHS AND POLLINATORS: Rethinking Mowing
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/monarchs/Helping-Monarchs-and-Pollinators-Rethinking-Mowing.pdf

No Mow May Campaign – Nature Conservancy of Canada suggests leaving lawns alone in May
https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/saskatchewan/news/no-mow-may.html

Pollinator Partnership Canada
https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/

Bee City Canada – Learn About Pollinators
https://beecitycanada.org/pollinator-resources/learn-about-pollinators/

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Grow It! Don’t Mow It!
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/pollinators/grow-it/

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Habitats At Home – How Anyone Can Help Canada’s Wildlife
https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/habitats-at-home-how-anyone-can-help-canadas-wildlife/

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Pollinator Recovery
https://banwithaplan.org/pollinator-recovery/

Canadian Wildlife Federation – The Science of Pollination
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/for-educators/resource-sheets/the-science-of-pollination.html

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Paving New Pathways for Canada’s Pollinators
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiU5SBTj87I

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Perpetuating Pollinators
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/pollinators/

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Wildlife-friendly Gardening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpNTQBV7_c8

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Native Pollinators and Agriculture in Canada
https://farmlandhealthcheckup.net/uploads/resources/agriculture-agri-food-canada-native-pollinators-agriculture-canada-190522110858.pdf

Government of Canada – Build a Pollinator Garden – Protect Nature Challenge
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/nature-legacy/activities/build-pollinator-garden.html

Wildlife Preservation Canada – What is causing wild bee declines?
https://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog/what-is-causing-wild-bee-declines/?

Parks Canada – Join in and plant for pollinators
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/nature/science/conservation/plantes-pollinisateurs-plant-pollinators

Bumble Bee Watch
https://www.bumblebeewatch.org/

Monarchs and Milkweed in New Brunswick
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/monarchs-and-milkweed-in-new-brunswick

Besides No Mow May, add native plants for pollinators, conservationists say
https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/news/besides-no-mow-may-add-native-plants-for-pollinators-conservationists-say-100730807/?fbclid=IwAR2iFQ1nkXU00txa41ZPzn1PjpZQRzXbOfBtewIRLNhtuT5wZAFoRpfr7Hg

New Brunswick Invasive Species Council (NBISC) – Plant Wise Program
https://www.nbinvasives.ca/plantwise

CBC News – Native plants finding their way to more Nova Scotia gardens this spring
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/native-plants-nova-scotia-1.6420201

CBC News – No Mow May is fine, but conservationists say more can be done to help pollinators
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/no-mow-may-biodiversity-native-plant-species-pollinators-1.6456549?fbclid=IwAR0A21mAxVzmc8Z7IObeoEnKKFohQjds-cNDNFSzmWnn1BBx-wgQuuzev9c

Groupe de développement durable du Pays de Cocagne – Wild Pollinators & Their Natural Habitats
https://ecopaysdecocagne.ca/en/projects/345-wild-pollinators-their-natural-habitats

iNaturalist – Pollinators in Cocagne Area
https://inaturalist.ca/observations?place_id=any&project_id=pollinisateurs-de-cocagne-nb-pollinators&verifiable=any

Les ami.e.s de la nature du sud-est du NB
Pollinators in south-east NB,  by Stuart Tingley

Educational Tools and Activities

One-pager brochure (with QR code leading to this page) available for download and printing – Bilingual fr-Eng, 7.5×11 in.
https://ecovision2025.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Depliant-pollinisateurs-Fr-Eng-3.pdf

Pollinator poster (with QR code leading to this page) available for download and printing – Bilingual fr-Eng, 11×17 in.
https://ecovision2025.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Affiche-Pollinisateurs-Poster-11×17-3.pdf

Canadian Wildlife Federation – Educational Activities for Schools
https://education.cwf-fcf.org/library/resources/get/230909/Educator%20Guide%20-%20Pollinators.pdf

Pollinator Partnership – Educational Activities for Schools
https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/p2c-kids

Pollinator Partnership – Bee Smart School Garden Kit
https://www.pollinator.org/bee-smart

Canadian Wildlife Federation – WILD Spaces, a pollinator conservation program for schools
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/wild-spaces/

This initiative is sponsored by: