Rochester Pollinators Committee

Mark Your Calendar! 

The Rochester Pollinator will be having a Native Plant sale on September 17th at the Downtown Rochester Farmer's Market from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR THE POLLINATOR GARDEN PLANS & PACKET

Rochester Pollinators Committee of the Rochester City Beautiful Commission

Restore Our Natural Habitat — Start Growing Native! 

Save the monarch butterfly and pollinators by planting Michigan native plants in your home garden. 

Rochester Has Five Public Pollinator Gardens!

This summer, take some time to visit our public pollinator gardens. All of them feature Michigan native plants that support the life cycle of our pollinators. A list of them with their location follows:

1. The Butterfly Garden at the Rochester Municipal Park, 400 6th St, Rochester
   
2. Rochester Hills Public Library, 500 Olde Towne Rd., Rochester
   
3. Rochester Fire Station, 277 E 2nd St, Rochester
   
4. Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve, 333 North Hill Cir, Rochester Hills (behind the Community Garden on Ludlow)
   
5. Prairie Remnant at Howlett Park, Corner of Inglewood St and Romeo Rd
   

THE CONCERN 

WE ARE LOSING OUR VALUABLE POLLINATORS

Butterflies and other pollinators have experienced significant declines across the globe. The monarch butterfly population alone has decreased up to 75%–90% depending upon the year.

Pollinators are being threatened by a number of factors, including habitat loss, increased pesticide use, and introduced diseases. In the United States, a vast majority of land has been altered in some way, including the creation of 40 million of acres of lawns which often lack the native plants needed to support pollinators.

WHY SAVE THE POLLINATORS?

ONE-THIRD OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY ARE DEPENDENT UPON POLLINATION.

Nearly 90% of all flowering plants, which include fruit and vegetable crops, depend on pollinators. This means that most of our favorite foods would either totally disappear or be extremely rare and expensive. Some of these foods include:

• Honey
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Avocados
• Cherries
• Almonds
• Tomatoes
• Squash

THE BENEFITS OF NATIVE PLANTS 

Low Maintenance: 
 These amazing plants have evolved with our natural landscapes and climate. They have deep roots that require less watering than non-native species. Once established in your garden, they require very little maintenance, and they come back every year. They support pollinators at every stage of their lives and they feed the birds. 

Less Money: 
 Native plants are perennials and grow back each year. They don’t need fertilizer, herbicides or pesticides which you don’t have to purchase.

Healthy & Safe: 
 These plants are healthy for the pollinators and are healthy for you. Suburban lawns on average have 10 times more chemical pesticides than farms. Native plants are better adapted to our climate and eliminate the need for toxic chemicals. Thus providing a safe environment for our wildlife and families.

THE MAYORS MONARCH PLEDGE

Did you know that our current Mayor, Stuart Bikson, and former mayors, Cathy Daldin and Rob Ray, have each signed the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge?

Cities across the Midwest are taking the pledge to try and save the Monarch butterfly and Rochester officially joined that list in 2018. The Mayors’ Monarch Pledge is a program that is aimed at helping the Monarch increase in population and flourish. 

Mayor Rob Ray stated, "With our wealth of natural habitat in the city, Rochester is in an ideal position to lead on the issue of helping support our Monarch butterfly and our pollinators." 

Check out all the cities involved in the Mayor's Monarch Pledge!

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

Plant a Pollinator Garden and Restore our Native Habitats 
 One important way you can help is by planting a pollinator-friendly garden with native plants. Make sure you include milkweed! Milkweed is the only plant that Monarch butterflies can lay their eggs on. Milkweed leaves are the only food that Monarch caterpillars can eat. There are many different native plants that look beautiful in your garden and are important for other butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other birds. Please reach out to us at pollinators@trentcreative.com with your questions. 

You can help save our ecosystem one pollinator at a time! 

Report Monarch butterfly sightings online at https://journeynorth.org/sightings/.
Learn more about the Monarch Butterfly.

Volunteer, buy our swag at Bizzy Buzz in downtown Rochester, buy Michigan native plants at the Rochester Farmers Market. All proceeds go to the Butterfly Pledge. To donate write a check to the City of Rochester and mail to 400 Sixth Street, Rochester, MI 48307 and indicate it is for the Butterfly Pledge. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and email us at polllinators@trentcreative.com to sign-up for our newsletter. 

One more wonderful thing to love about Rochester!