Protecting pollinators with Plant.Grow.Fly.

A buckeye butterfly spreads its wings in Van Buren County. (Photo by Lora Conrad)

Did you know this week is National Pollinator Week? It’s important to celebrate—and protect—pollinators like butterflies and bees that are so vital to our ecosystems. More than one-third of the global food supply depends on pollinators like these.

A great spangled fritillary lands on a flower briefly in Appanoose County. (Photo by Lexi Ruskell)

Luckily, the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines has launched a program to encourage people to plant pollinator gardens. Plant.Grow.Fly. is a habitat preservation project to conserve butterflies, bee and other pollinators. The zoo provides all the information novice gardeners need to plant quality pollinator habitat, including a region-specific plant list. Once participants plant the garden, they can register it with the zoo and be recognized on the website. They can even name their garden and share what inspired them to plant it.

So far, the project has over 120 registered gardens, and they hope to reach 500 by the end of the year. For more information on participating, check out this pamphlet.