The City of Richmond is encouraging residents and businesses to become “pollinator and bee ambassadors” by planting flowers to help pollinators travel throughout the city.
By planting pollen-rich plants on their properties, Richmondites can help expand the city’s nectar trail to help pollinators such as bees easily travel throughout the city and its farming areas.
Pollinators need to touch down every 10 metres, according to the city.
“Scientists tell us that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a statement.
“Building trails of pollen-rich plants will help these pollinators thrive in Richmond’s Ecological Network.
“A simple solution is to create a bee-friendly area on your property by planting flowering plants that pollinators can visit or nest.”
Some bee-friendly plants include golden rod, snapdragons, sunflowers, poppies and cornflowers, according to the provincial government.
Border Free Bees, a local long-term public art and pollinator habitat initiative and a partner in the Richmond Nectar Trail Initiative, also has several guides to help people create a bee-friendly garden.
To participate in the city’s nectar trail:
- Begin by registering the garden at richmond.ca/nectartrail or email your name and postal code to [email protected].
- Maintain the garden of pollinating plants; and post photos of the garden on social media with the hashtag #RmdNectarTrail. Continue posting until Sept. 30, 2021.
- Watch for updates on the city’s social media channels throughout the summer to see the Richmond Nectar Trail map grow.
