Without pollinators, most flowering plants could not reproduce. One-third of our food plants, from tomatoes and squash to apples and almonds, depend on the services of a pollinator. Bees are the most important pollinators in the northeastern U.S.—more than 225 bee species have been recorded in New York City alone. To learn more about pollination, watch the slide show, above.
The Great Pollinator Project was launched to learn more about bees and other pollinators in New York City and find ways to improve habitat for them. Rural farmers aren’t the only people who depend on the services of bees and other pollinators. City dwellers do, too. Most plants in community gardens, parks, and urban natural areas rely on bees to move pollen from flower to flower so that the plants can reproduce. Fortunately, because insect pollinators are tiny, there is much that can be done in urban environments to support them, even in small habitat patches.
On this site you can:
Learn more about native bees and other pollinators in New York City and beyond.
Find out how to grow a pollinator garden.
Find out how to volunteer in a citizen science pollinator project.
Read about the results of the Bee Watcher citizen science project.
If you are a land manager or gardener working for a city agency or other organization, you can use this site to find technical resources about pollinator conservation in the region.
Finally, if you are a teacher or parent, you’ll find links to useful programs and curricula about pollinators and their needs.