Pollinator Week 2023

National Pollinator Week is a celebration of the amazing creatures—butterflies, bees, birds, beetles and more—that form the backbone of our natural and agricultural ecosystems. It’s a great time to learn about these animals, the valuable work that they do, and many challenges they face as their populations decline, as well as observe them in action and share your discoveries with others. The celebration takes place on the last full week in June each year (June 19-25 in 2023).

Here are some links and resources featuring insects and other pollinators, along with many of the plants they depend upon for survival.

Duke Gardens Events

All programs will start at the Doris Duke Center. No registration is required, except for the "Pocket Prairie Walk."

The Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden Renovation & Design, Tuesday, June 20, 10-10:30 a.m. The Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden features a diverse array of beautiful and beneficial pollinator-friendly flowers. Historic Gardens horticulturist April Stradley will tell us about the garden’s 2020 renovation and highlight ways pollinator plants are incorporated into the overall design. Learn more about the redesign in this 2020 video.

The Newly Reimagined Backyard Wildlife Garden in the Blomquist, Wednesday, June 21, 5-6 p.m. Explore the newly reimagined backyard wildlife garden in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants with the garden’s designer, curator Annabel Renwick, and learn more about native pollinator plants that are recommended for home gardens, given their ornamental and environmental value.

Meet the Keepers: Bees & Pollinators at Duke Gardens, Thursday, June 22, 1-2 p.m. Join us for this special opportunity to meet Nick Schwab, Duke Gardens’ resident beekeeper, in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, and learn how we care for bees and pollinators throughout the Gardens.

Pollinator Collaborative Science Walk, Friday, June 23, 2-3:30 p.m. Collaborative science (also called citizen science or community science) is when people who aren't professional scientists help collect and analyze information used to answer research questions that can't be studied without a large group of people.  On this walk with Kati Henderson, university and community partnerships coordinator at Duke Gardens, you’ll learn how to use the iNaturalist app for pollinator data collection and explore places at Duke Gardens that attract interesting pollinators. We'll also share things to look for & photograph when observing and identifying pollinators.

Pocket Prairie Walk, Saturday, June 24, 9-11 a.m. (registration required for this event; info here). Did you know a prairie can grow in a parking lot? Southeastern native prairie plants can be an attractive, low-maintenance alternative to sod in underutilized urban areas such as parking lots. Additionally, unlike sod, these pocket prairies can also be beneficial to pollinators such as birds and butterflies. Join Maegan Luckett, horticulturist of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, for a visit to a Duke Gardens pocket prairie project in a nearby parking lot for a show and tell demonstration of how ecologically beneficial prairies can coexist with a built environment. You’ll leave with a plant list and an appreciation for the power of prairie plants.

We will also feature pollinator pop-up facts throughout the Gardens, resources for self-guided pollinator plant tours, an array of pollinator-friendly plants available for sale in the Terrace Shop, and more.

Garden Talk Columns

• Build a Pollinator House
• Anise-scented sage
• Purple coneflower
• Coral honeysuckle
• Beebalm
• National Pollinator Week flashback: Bee Aware
• Bringing the Prairie to the People
• Pollinator syndromes

Collaborative Science Projects

Join these collaborative science projects (also called citizen science) to help researchers learn about local pollinators!

• Urban Bee Climate Project
• Bumble Bee Watch
• Submit your Duke Gardens pollinator observations to iNaturalist 

Additional Resources

North Carolina Pollinator Alliance  
BEE Downtown 
Durham Bee City U.S.A.
Chatham Mills “Pollinator Paradise” Garden Links and Info  by N.C. Extension Agent Debbie Roos 
Pollinator Central at the North Carolina Botanical Garden 
Bee ID Guide from the Pollinator Partnership  
The Pollinator Partnership

Duke Gardens Videos

More Videos

"Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden" (JC Raulston Arboretum)
"Pollinator Plants for the Home Garden" (JC Raulston Arboretum) 
"Virtual Garden Tour" (N.C. Cooperative Extension, Chatham County)

Photo of hummingbird with bee balm flowers (Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Kline’) by Sarah Reuning.