MISSOULA - As urban spaces grow and develop, pollinators, like local bees and butterflies, are left without native plants and habitats.
But urban homeowners can help prevent the decline of pollinator populations by planting native plants in their yards.
The Missoula County Ecology and Extension Department has seed mix and other resources to turn lawn grass into a pollinator haven. The department also has several pollinator conservation programs, including the Flowering Pollinator Lawn Research Initiative that took place this spring.
Participants scattered native plant seed mix on lawn grass in an attempt to grow pollinator plants. One person taking part is Teagan Hayes, an ecologist who lives near the North Hills and has been working on her natural yard for years.
“My initial desire to kind of have native plants around me started as a young person, but then, you know, owning my own house was really the first time I was like, oh, I have control over this, I can choose what to put there,” she says. “So when I learned about the county's project of the flowering yards, I just thought this is a perfect way to, for any remaining grass that we have, to sort of change it into something that's more beneficial for wildlife and for insects.”
By filling her yard with native plants, Hayes has attracted an abundance of wildlife, including 26 different species of bird. The native plants also create the natural habitat for insects.
“All of our insect populations or bees or butterflies have evolved with those species too,” Missoula County Ecology and Extension director Bryce Christiaens says. “And so their bloom time matches the time where those insects, those bees and butterflies, are out and looking for pollinating plants.”
Plus, because Missoula native plants are accustomed to the climate in Western Montana, it can be easier for them to thrive.
“I think even people who love gardening don't want to spend excessive amounts of time making something fit that doesn't really want to grow,” Hayes says. “Just asking your local grower or a plant store that sells native plants, you know, what will work in my space and then and trying to just make it work for you, whatever that may be, whether it's big or small.”
Missoula Ecology and Extension has a myriad of resources and tips for growing native plants and information on which plants are the most beneficial for pollinators. They are also selling the same mix used by Hayes.
Any gardening or landscaping questions can be answered at their Plant Clinic, which is open weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 2825 Santa Fe Court. The clinic can also clear up any misinformation on pollinator-friendly gardening.
For example, many people think raising backyard honey bees is a great way to help pollinators, but Kuhlman says this is untrue. Backyard honey bees are not native to North America, so Kuhlman says raising them to help pollinators is like raising chickens to help bird conservation.
“So when you think about pollinator conservation, you need to set aside the idea of honey bees,” Kuhlman says. “And then think about the actual wild native bees that we have here. Those are the ones that need our help and should be the focus of our conservation efforts.”
The Rocky Mountain Gardens will open at the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center on the Missoula Fairgrounds later this summer. People will be able to walk through a native plant and pollinator garden to learn hands-on how to support local habitats.
“Gardening is such a hands-on experience and you learn from being in that space and doing that but it is really just an experiment and you just have to like get your hands dirty, and try things out,” Christiaens says.
Hayes and her husband’s yard is an example of an accessible natural yard.
“You know, here this is the Missoula north side, they're small lots,” Marirose Kuhlman, habitat coordinator for ecology and extension. “So yeah, there's a lot of possibilities in a place like this. Urban and suburban areas can support a lot of diversity, and you know, biodiversity in native plants and animals.”
Kuhlman says that while most people think of large-scale conservation efforts, small landscaping changes in Missoula can make a difference too.
“People should keep in mind it's not an all-or-nothing situation,” she says. “You can mix and match, you can do a little or you could do a lot. It could be on your apartment balcony, or it could be your entire front yard.”
Hayes, Kuhlman and Christiaens spoke to the media on Monday, June 19, 2023, about natural yards, a way to kick off National Pollinator Week.
“This seemed like a really good time to kind of introduce and promote this program for people to be able to do some really cool things with native plants in their yard,” Christiaens says.
The Missoula County Ecology and Extension Department will ask Missoula County Commissioners to dedicate Missoula County as a Bee City U.S.A. affiliate on Thursday, June 22.
“Define a framework for the pollinator conservation goals that we have in Missoula County, both in our department and across the county for how we can improve pollinator habitat on the lands that we manage as a county,” Christiaens says.
