Photo courtesy of Val McKinley
Building
By Madeline Coats BEE AWARE OF POLLINATOR HEALTH
a kingdom fit for a queen
D
o you like food? Well, pollinators are responsible for a third of all food consumed. BEEvesting, an all-volunteer organization, is designed to support local agriculture by promoting pollinator health. Pollinators are organisms that carry pollen from one flower to another, thus supporting healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity. They are critical to the survival of humans, wildlife and the planet. Founding partners for the BEEvesting program include 21 Acres, Sammamish Valley Alliance, Sammamish Valley Grange and Coastal Community Bank. The organization exists to increase awareness and community engagement around building safe habitats for all pollinators — bumble bees, tiny carpenter bees, green sweat bees, mason bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds and beetles. 54 | Woodinville Magazine / July/August 2021
“When you are thinking about shifting anything in your garden, consider how you can support the native pollinators,” said volunteer and lifelong gardener Patricia Newkirk. Newkirk volunteers at the new pollinator garden in 21 Acres, which was started in partnership with BEEvesting in 2020. With funds from the King County Community Service Areas grant program, the roughly 2,000-square-foot garden is designed to help pollinators find food and shelter. The garden project was launched by former volunteer Kevin Sander, who initially transformed the area into a pollinator-friendly environment. His mom, Colleen Willson, is also responsible for growing the BEEvesting program at 21 Acres through an internship with Cascadia College. While the mother-son duo has fin-
ished their work, volunteers are stepping up to improve and implement pollinator pathways in the community. Members of the Woodinville Garden Club have also joined the effort, as well as students from University of Washington – Bothell and Cascadia College. Newkirk is currently building a database of helpful plants specific to the Pacific Northwest. She wants other people to consider using these plants to invest in the health of pollinators in their own gardens at home, she said. “We are trying to create a little resource and network,” she said, “and we’re hoping that people will get the idea.” Once complete, the garden will act as a gathering place for visitors and volunteers to learn about pollinators and the best gardening practices to promote their well-being.
