Protect pollinators by expanding the Richmond Nectar Trail

06 July 2021

The City of Richmond is encouraging residents and businesses to celebrate and protect our City’s pollinators by participating in a family-friendly Richmond Nectar Trail initiative. A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing the flower in the process.

The City of Richmond encourages residents and businesses to become ‘pollinator and bee ambassadors.’ The more people who plant and grow pollen rich plants on their properties, the more successful a nectar trail across Richmond will become. Pollinators need to touch down at least every ten metres; the trail will enable pollinators to easily travel throughout Richmond, including Richmond’s rich farming areas.

“Scientists tell us that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat,” says Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Building trails of pollen-rich plants will help these pollinators thrive in Richmond’s Ecological Network. A simple solution is to create a bee friendly area on your property by planting flowering plants that pollinators can visit or nest.”

The steps to participate in Richmond’s Nectar Trail are easy:

• Begin by registering the garden at richmond.ca/nectartrail or email your name and postal code to nectartrail@richmond.ca.
• Maintain the garden of pollinating plants; and post photos of the garden on social media with the hashtag #RmdNectarTrail. Continue posting until September 30, 2021.

Watch for updates on the City’s social media channels throughout the summer to see Richmond Nectar Trail map grow.

Special thanks to Border Free Bees, a local long-term public art and pollinator habitat initiative and an important partner in this initiative. Visit www.borderfreebees.com for more information.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge all participants to carefully follow current public health guidelines.