BeeSmart

This is National Pollinator Week, an annual event managed by the Pollinator Partnership.¹

Five years ago the U.S. Senate's unanimous approval and designation of the final week in June as "National Pollinator Week" marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown to be an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles. The growing concern for pollinators is a sign of progress, but it is vital that we continue to maximize our collective effort. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture signs the proclamation every year.

For more information about Pollinator Week, visit the Pollinator week web page (http://pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2012.htm). There you'll find links to resources and activities.

You'll also learn that there's a pollinator app -- BeeSmart, and it's available for both iPhone and Android.

With the Bee Smart™ Pollinator Gardener's easy user interface, browse through a database of nearly 1,000 native plants. Filter your plants by what pollinators you want to attract, light and soil requirements, bloom color, and plant type. This is an excellent plant reference to attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, bats, and other pollinators to the garden, farm, school and every landscape.

If you're a gardener and you have an iPhone or Android device, consider downloading the app and trying it out.