Pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems, food production, biodiversity, and climate resilience across Ontario. Creating pollinator gardens with native plants and installing bee hotels are simple but powerful ways communities can support declining native bee populations while helping mitigate climate change through healthier urban ecosystems.
Recently, Brampton Environmental Alliance partnered with Plant Powered for the Earth to bring a Bee Habitat Program called “ Pollinator Habitat Protectors” to W.G. Davis Senior Public School. Students participated in a seminar about the importance of native plants and pollinators.
The workshop was presented by environmental educator Yarim Hinojosa to grade 7 students and the school’s Eco Club.
The students learned about the indigenous perspectives and a “two-eyed seeing” approach (Etuaptmumk) as a guiding principle introduced by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshal. It advocates for looking at the world with one eye using the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, and with the other eye using the strengths of Western knowledge and methods, to better understand the importance of native pollinator animals and native plants in Ontario.
One example she shared was the indigenous perspective of reciprocity and connection between plants and bees by Robin Wall Kimmerer, who is a plant scientist, poet, member of the Potawatomi Nation, mother, and student of Native American stories and traditions. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants she says “while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, she says, science also tells us that the two colors of purple asters and yellow goldenrod, having reciprocal colors in human and bee eyes and growing together, attract a greater number of pollinators than either would growing alone, therefore leading to better plant success.”
Yarim taught the students about botany, ecology and how to identify and grow native plants that attract native bees and butterfly pollinator animals in Ontario, especially the plants that will be growing in the school’s brand new pollinator garden. These plants include bee-attracting specimens like Smooth Blue Aster, Smooth Oxeye ( pictured above with green female sweat bee) (2), Pearly Everlasting, Mountain Mint, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Blue Lobelia
The students also learned about the botany and ecology of butterfly-attracting plants like Wild Columbine, Purple Coneflower, Cardinal Flower, Butterfly Milkweed (Pictured above with a Monarch Butterfly), Hairy Beardtongue, Dense Blazing Star, Dense Blazing Star, Smooth Blue Aster, among others
Did you know? Milkweeds are larval host plants for monarchs, which are a native species to Ontario. Increased plantings of these wildflowers will help populations of these regal butterflies in their efforts to make their grand migrations, a phenomenon which is in peril.
The students also learned about the challenges that native bee species face in Ontario, such as pesticide use, destruction of habitat and competition with non native species and actionable ways to help.
Did you know? A study by the University of Toronto suggests that non native species, including honey bees, which are an introduced species, are affecting Ontario’s native solitary Mason bee population.
In addition, research by the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University emphasizes that the majority of Ontario’s native bees are solitary and rely heavily on nesting underground or in hollow stems rather than in traditional hives.
The students were amazed to learn about the ecology of native solitary bee species, which, for many shared was the very first time they had ever seen or heard about. This is not surprising as most media, illustrations and advertising portray bees mostly as ” honey bees”. Some of these beautiful, solitary species native to Ontario that the students admired the most included those in the Osmia genus (Typical Mason Bees / Orchard Bees) and the Megachile genus (Leaf-cutter bees )
Osmia lignaria (Blue Orchard Mason Bee) – The most well-known native mason bee, metallic blue-black, and a highly efficient early-spring pollinator.
Megachile latimanus: A large, widely distributed, and extremely common leafcutter species.
Due to the problems native bees face, we decided to inspire the students to consider planting more native plants at their homes, balconies, and communities that attract pollinators. We also showed them the benefits of providing solitary bees a “bee hotel” as habitat for their pollinator garden, which can give the bees a home and provide them with access to the school’s pollinator garden.
The lesson ended by having the students paint six bee hotels designed and built as a collaboration by the BEA and Plant Powered for the Earth, and donated to the school. The students shared what they learned and everyone expressed empathy, genuine interest and responsibility to help
The workshop and program also includes ongoing monitoring by the BEA and Plant Powered for the Earth in collaboration with WG Davis SS of the bees’ full lifecycle, introducing students to hands-on environmental education and citizen science while helping support native solitary bee populations, encouraging the planting of pollinator gardens for biodiversity, food security and to mitigate the impact of climate change in Brampton.
Programs like this help advance local pollinator habitat goals, encourage the planting of native gardens, strengthen biodiversity, and contribute to climate action by creating greener, more sustainable communities.
If schools, organizations, or community groups are interested in bringing this Bee Habitat Program to their school or institution, please contact us, we would love to collaborate.
References:
- Picture of Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis) by Bex Cartwright
- . Picture of Oxeye and Green Sweat bee