Celebrate Pollinator Week June 17-23

Celebrate the pollinators in the state during Nebraska Pollinator Week on June 17-23 by participating in one of many events hosted by Nebraska Game and Parks or its partners.

Find an event near you at OutdoorNebraska.gov; search “Pollinator Week.” Game and Parks events include:

All month

• The Nebraska Pollinator Quest is an effort to find and record as many pollinators as possible during Pollinator Week. Participating is easy. Find a pollinator such as a bee, butterfly or hummingbird, then take a photograph of it and upload it to the cellphone app iNaturalist.

June 15

• The Pollinator Party at Schramm Education Center, Gretna, is an opportunity to see live honey and bumble bees, learn about pollinators, make crafts and more. This event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the education center, 21502 W. Highway 31.

June 18

• Pollinators at Ponca State Park is an opportunity to learn, explore and find pollinators at this northeast Nebraska state park. This event is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 988090 Spur 26 E, Ponca.

June 19

• Wildflower Wednesday is from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s James Family Conservatory and Nature Center, 28500 W. Park Highway, Ashland.

June 22

• Pollinators, Plants and Prairie Pines is a buzz-worthy event where participants will discover the vital role bees, butterflies and more play in our ecosystem through interactive activities. This event is co-hosted by Prairie Pines Partners at the Prairie Pines Natural Reserve, 3100 N. 112^th, Lincoln.
• Bee House Making and Keeping, a chance to learn pollinator identification, make a bee house and learn how to keep bees, at 2 p.m. at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area, 54731 897 Road, Crofton.

Get more details on these events and others hosted across the state at OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Pollinator Week is an effort to celebrate and raise awareness about pollinators and their conservation. Pollinators add more than $217 billion to the worldwide economy through crop pollination. They pollinate more than 180,000 plant species around the world — including plants that provide food for people, birds and mammals.