Santa Fe Pollinator Trail Proud Supporters

Your Botanical Garden is proud to help support the Santa Fe Pollinator Trail, a pilot program of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

New Mexico is home to hundreds of species of butterflies and over one thousand species of native bees, but here, as in places all over the globe, pollinator habitat is being threatened by climate change, urban development, pesticides, and non-native plants.  Fortunately, many pollinators are able to thrive in urban areas where landscaping includes a diversity of native plant species free of pesticides.  One important step we as individuals can take to protect these important animals is to increase the native flowering plants available to these species by creating climate-resilient pollinator habitats throughout urban Santa Fe, so pollinators need not fly far between safe stops along the “Trail.”  In order to address pollinator declines and habitat loss, The Xerces Society partnered with Santa Ana Native Plant Nursery to produce “Habitat Kits” of 33 native plants and make them available to residents and organizations in Santa Fe interested in creating pollinator habitat.

The Santa Fe Botanical Garden planted several demonstration plants from the Habitat Kits back in late May so that people wondering how the new plants would look, what to expect in their first season, etc., and could come to our Garden to see the actual plants growing.  You may have noticed these white-flagged plants in the Bridge Approach this summer.  This month, between September 12 and 26, Garden volunteers will be planting four complete Habitat Kits, a total of 132 native plants, throughout the Garden.  All the plants planted will be accessioned, and at least two of every species planted will be labeled so they will be easily noted both by fellow Pollinator Trail participants, and by the general public interested in native plants.

There are many benefits to including native plants in a landscape.  One of the best ways to increase resiliency in any garden, and to reduce the need for continual inputs including our precious water, is to plant and cultivate many native plant species.  We hope by supporting and participating in the Santa Fe Pollinator Trail project that we will be a source of knowledge about native plants and pollinators here in our own Garden; we will encourage others to learn more about their own native ecosystems;  and we and our visitors will also benefit by the added beauty and biodiversity right here at home.

Come to our Community Day on September 19^th for more information and to see our plants in person!

Thanks to Kaitlin Haase, Xerces Society Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist, for background for this article. You can contact kaitlin.haase@xerces.org with any questions about the Santa Fe Pollinator Trail Habitat Kit program.