Some late May mornings make you pause. The garden feels a little still, the air a little expectant, like it’s waiting for someone to notice what’s changed. One of those mornings, I stepped onto the front path and realized the usual buzz of bees and flutter of butterflies had softened. Not gone, just muted. Enough to make me look twice.

And that’s when I remembered: National Pollinator Week, June 22–28. A perfect moment to tune in to the small clues our gardens offer and learn more about the pollinators who keep them thriving.

Across Minnesota, Pollinator Week has grown into a full community celebration. Extension offices, nature centers, and local gardens are hosting workshops, tours, and handson activities to help gardeners support bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and birds in practical, meaningful ways.

One of the simplest ways to join in is by planting a few pollinatorfriendly natives. Flowers like purple coneflower, milkweed, bee balm, blazing star, and blackeyed Susan thrive in Minnesota and provide nectar and habitat all season long. Even a single pot on a sunny patio can become a welcome stopover for winged visitors.

Minnesota also has a standout resource during Pollinator Week: the Minnesota Bee Atlas, a community science project inviting residents to document bee species across the state. It’s an easy, familyfriendly way to contribute—snap a quick photo, upload it to iNaturalist, and help researchers map where native bees live and how populations are changing.

The UMN Bee Lab is joining the fun with open houses, short courses, and virtual sessions on identifying native bees, creating continuous bloom, and reducing pesticide use. Their research apiary tours are always a hit, offering a behindthescenes look at honey bee health and management.

If you prefer something more handson, many communities are offering workshops, pollinator garden tours, and kidfriendly activities. And don’t underestimate the power of simple observation, ten quiet minutes watching your yard can reveal more than you’d expect.

Ready to follow the clues in your own yard? Choose one small action this June, plant, observe, learn, or share, and help make Minnesota buzz a little louder again.

For more information: Pollinator Partnership • UMN Extension Pollinator Resources • UMN Bee Lab • Minnesota Bee Atlas on iNaturalist

By University of Minnesota Extension Douglas County