Members of the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) share a common vision of working together to improve environmental sustainability and competitiveness of the global automotive supply chain. While environmental sustainability encompasses many important issues, advancing biodiversity conservation within both our own operations, as well as those of our suppliers and within our communities, is one component of this vision and the focus of SP’s Biodiversity Work Group.

We know that many of the Earth Month activities and conservation projects SP member companies had planned for this Spring have been canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while our corporate conservation events may be postponed for the time being, it’s important that we all take the time to reconnect with nature and wildlife whenever we can, particularly in these challenging times.  One excellent way to do that is by encouraging employees to take on small projects in their own backyards to support pollinators.

If you are supporting pollinators at home, we want to hear from you! Take a photo of your efforts and share it on social media using the hashtags #SuppliersPartnership #PollinatorChallenge. Or, e-mail a photo to info@supplierspartnership.org

How can employees support pollinators at home?

• Create a small landscaping bed or container garden with pollinator friendly native plants. Step by step guidance on where to start and ecoregional native planting guides are available from groups like Pollinator Partnership, US Forest Service and others.  A quick Google search will return several options for ordering plants / seeds online or check if your local garden center is offering delivery or curbside pickup service, many are!
• Build an insect hotel (or other shelter) to support insects and other pollinators. There are a variety of fun and rewarding DIY projects that can be done with materials you likely have around the house.  Consider opportunities to repurpose materials – think plastic bottles, cardboard toilet paper rolls, reclaimed wood, bricks, and so on.
• Monitor pollinators around your home to contribute to citizen science efforts. The iOS / Android Insight Citizen Science App, for example, is a good way to contribute meaningful scientific data by observing pollinators in your home garden and recording your findings in the free app.
• Educate your kids/family on the importance of pollinators. There are a wide range fun, easy family activities to connect with nature in your own backyard provided by organizations like Wildlife Habitat Council, National Wildlife Federation, the Wildlife Trusts and others.
• See the below list of resources for more ideas!

Resources for Pollinator Projects at Home

Creating a Pollinator Garden

Pollinator projects need not be large or complex, simply adding a small native landscaping bed or a few containers can have a meaningful conservation impact.

• Pollinator Partnership has compiled a range of helpful resources outlining steps to build a pollinator garden and adopt other pollinator friendly practices at home. P2 also offers ecoregional planting guides, Selecting Plants for Pollinators, tailored to specific areas of the United States
• Gardening for Pollinators offers simple steps to create a pollinator-friendly landscape around your home, along with USFS regional planting guides.
• Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center provides information for native plants by state and ecoregion. Plant lists such as ‘Special Value to Native Bees’ can be filtered to find native species by bloom time, growing conditions, location, or even plant habit.
• The Wildlife Trusts offers a series of simple guides and DIY projects for helping pollinators at home.
• Wildlife Habitat Council offers a step-by-step guide for developing, managing, and maintaining your pollinator project, along with on-demand educational webinars such as Monarchs in Peril – How Can You Help?, You Too Can Create Positive Pollinator Projects, or Plants and Pollinators with Dr. Stephen Buchmann.
• Insight Citizen Science App is a great way to contribute meaningful scientific data by observing pollinators in your garden and recording your findings in the free app.

Building Insect Hotels and Other Structures

Part art, part habitat, insect hotels are an inexpensive, easy and fun way to provide food, shelter, and nesting and hibernation space to all manner of bugs.

• Build a Bug Palace – Learn How Easy, Inexpensive Insect Hotels Can Enhance Your Habitat. On-demand webinar from WHC will give you the basic knowledge you need to create an easy, inexpensive Insect Hotel.
• Building Native Bee Nesting Blocks. USFS outlines how to encourage native bees to nest near your wildflower gardens by providing man-made nesting blocks.
• Make your own hummingbird feeder from recycled soda bottles. USFS outlines how to recycle materials from your house to make a hummingbird feeder.
• Bee Hotels for Wild Bees. Guidance document outlines steps for building a bee hotel.
• Build a Bat House. Step by step guide from NWF for building a bat house.
• Build a Nesting Box. Ideas for building and placing a nesting box for birds from NWF.

Kid Friendly Activities to Support Pollinators / Nature

There are many fun and easy opportunities for families to work together to support pollinators.

• Birds and Butterflies in Your Backyard. On-demand webinar from WHC on why native plants are so good for nature and easy things you can do at home to make a difference.
• Create a Butterfly Puddle. Make your butterfly garden even more attractive by adding a special water and nutrient source for them.
• NWF Kids Garden for Wildlife. Tips on helping children create a wildlife habitat garden right outside their door and introduce them to the wonders of the natural world.
• Project Learning Tree – In your Backyard. Some fun and easy-to-do nature activities, suitable for your backyard.
• How to Make a Seed Bomb. Throwing, breaking up or digging ‘seed bombs’ into areas in your garden that need a little brightening up is a perfect way of spending an afternoon.