Meaningful Ways to Support Pollinators
Pollinators such as bees, bats, birds and butterflies, move pollen from flower to flower as they feed, pollinating plants as they go. In fact, pollinators are SO vital to our complex and interconnected ecosystems that they are considered a keystone species group.
One of the most widely known pollinators is bees. Here at Goldilocks Wraps, bees are pretty essential to our operations, which is why we’re investing in supporting our pollinator friends. A percentage of proceeds from the pollinator print beeswax wrap is donated to the Pollinator Partnership to help support the health of pollinators across North America. Read on to discover some simple and practical ways to support your local pollinators.
Plant Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
A great way to support your local pollinators from home is to plant pollinator-friendly flowers. One of the greatest threats to the species comes from a lack of diverse food sources as a result of industrial monocropping (more on that later.)
Flowers with both nectar and pollen are especially valuable so bees can feast on both. Having a variety of flowers with various bloom times ensures a bountiful and diverse diet for pollinators throughout the season.
Some pollinator-friendly plants to consider planting are sunflowers, their height makes them easily accessible to pollinators, while lavender is nourishing to bees in late summer and flowers with a red hue attract hummingbirds.
Make a Mason Bee House
Consider making or purchasing a mason bee house, which can provide nesting places for local bee populations. We recommend doing some research to ensure the house you create or purchase is helping, rather than hindering local bee populations. For example, good homes need removable tubes made out of breathable materials with only one opening. Learn more about creating safe mason bee houses here.
Image via Pinterest
Keep it Natural
By avoiding the use of pesticides in your yard, you’ll help to ensure important pollinators stay healthy and strong, in an environment that is natural and nourishing.
Image captured by Country Bee Honey
Rewild Your Yard
Setting aside space in your yard to allow plants and wildflowers to grow, allows bees to feast on a variety of flora and ensures they don’t feast on pesticides. Allowing native species to grow will also aid pollinator populations. I mean, who doesn’t love a good excuse to abandon yard work and just let it go wild!
Support Polyculture Farming Practices
Polyculture farming refers to a form of agriculture where more than one species is grown at the same time and allows pollinators to have diversity in their diet.
The opposite of this, monoculture farming practices, can be harmful to pollinators as they don’t receive enough variety in their diet, making them more susceptible to disease. An example of this you may be familiar with is almond farming. Due to the nature of monocropping, common at almond orchards, bees that pollinate the orchards are less resilient to disease due to lack of variety in their diet.
Support Your Local Beekeepers
Supporting your local beekeepers is a great way to support local pollinators. Beekeepers are able to support local bee populations and ensure they are well-fed and healthy. Purchasing products from beekeepers allows them to continue working to support pollinators.
Photo captured by Country Bee Honey
At Goldilocks Wraps, we work directly with local master beekeeper, Lindsay from Country Bee Honey to source high-quality and local beeswax. Knowing where our beeswax comes from is important to us in ensuring it’s ethically harvested by a knowledgeable keeper who is contributing to protecting and preserving bee populations.
Another way you can support pollinators is by shopping our beeswax wraps, made from locally sourced beeswax, here. To support the Pollinator Project, shop our pollinator print here.
