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  • Habitat Creation & Preservation | People and Pollinators

    Here are some of our recent successes with helping to create and preserve pollinator habitats in Colorado. We recently championed a state resolution designating I-76 as Colorado’s first pollinator highway! HABITAT CREATION & PRESERVATION POLLINATOR HABITATS Here are some of our recent successes with helping to create and preserve pollinator habitats in Colorado. Championed a state resolution designating I-76 as Colorado’s first pollinator highway (2017) and launched the pilot planting project in 2018. Our partnership with CDOT continues with new pollinator plantings along Hwy 119 (2021). Co-created and co-host the annual Colorado Pollinator Summit (2015-2020) with Denver Botanic Gardens and The Butterfly Pavilion; and co-lead the Colorado Pollinator Network Worked with the Department of Natural Resources to spearhead a new, comprehensive pollinator policy for state lands (2018) Recruited 2,000+ individuals and businesses to take our pollinator-safe pledge to use pollinator-safe practices on their properties JOIN OUR EFFORTS SIGN THE PLEDGE

  • Pollinator Gardens around Denver | People and Pollinators

    POLLINATOR GARDENS IN DENVER POLLINATOR GARDENS IN THE CITY OF DENVER Visit these city pollinator garden beds to see Monarchs and other pollinators in Denver. Let us know if you have any to add, or if you'd like to volunteer with us to help weed/plant and maintain these pollinator gardens. VOLUNTEER WITH US » DENVER PARKS VOLUNTEERS PHOTO GALLERY Want to volunteer with us to help take care of pollinator gardens in our public spaces? Reach out to us to get on our volunteer list »

  • Volunteer in Parks | PeopleandPollinators

    VOLUNTEER IN PARKS Volunteer to support no-spray community spaces throughout the state! Colorado’s pesticide-free parks thrive because of people like you. Volunteers help keep these spaces healthy and safe by pulling weeds, planting native flowers, and supporting habitats where pollinators can flourish—without harmful chemicals. Whether you have an hour or a whole afternoon, your time makes a real difference. Come get your hands in the dirt and be part of a growing effort to protect the parks we all love. Volunteer in Denver Parks Volunteer in Golden Parks Volunteer in Eldorado Canyon State Park

  • Pollinator Safe Communities Guide | People and Pollinators

    People and Pollinators Action Network (PPAN) offers this guide for best practices for a pollinator friendly habitat across Colorado. POLLINATOR SAFE COMMUNITIES GUIDE GUIDE FOR POLLINATOR SAFE COMMUNITIES People and Pollinators Action Network (PPAN) works across Colorado to promote sustainable agricultural practices, safeguard public health, and improve our environment by fostering a strong movement to build community awareness, change policies and support best practices in the use of chemical pesticides and pollinator friendly habitat management. Our vision is to make Colorado a pollinator haven—a place where bees, bats and butterflies will thrive. DOWNLOAD GUIDE PDF How are we creating change? Work with government officials and state agencies to adopt pollinator friendly policies and practices at the local and state level. Promote and connect widespread pollinator safe habitats by creating Pollinator Safe Communities. Work with businesses, farmers and beekeepers to encourage pollinator safe product sales and practices. Educate and train residential, commercial, agricultural and public land managers to find ways to protect pollinators and promote healthy habitat. Serve as a resource for anyone interested in creating pollinator safe habitat. What's at stake? Pollinators, both native and introduced species, are essential to overall ecosystem health and to agricultural productivity. Protecting pollinators can be challenging in the face of habitat loss along with climate change and pesticide misapplication and overuse. All of these issues contribute to lowered immune systems making pollinators more susceptible to pests and pathogens. Loss of these essential creatures to our biodiversity threatens ecological stability around the world. Creating Pollinator Safe Communities People and Pollinators Action Network is encouraging land owners and managers to create pollinator refuges by converting backyards and other properties to pollinator safe habitat. The message is straightforward – plant organic plants/seeds and eliminate the use of pesticides on the landscape and speak to others about doing the same. Safe havens for pollinators mean that there is healthy food and shelter for our pollinating wildlife. Through education we can encourage people to change their land management practices and become more active on this issue. By joining others that are doing the same we can change Colorado one garden or property at a time. Dear Pollinator Safe Community Leader, Thank you for making a commitment to support pollinators! It is because of people like you that we are able to create habitat and change the way people think about and interact with pesticides. Neighbor to neighbor education and outreach is an effective tool in a time when residents feel powerless in the face of large-scale environmental threats. Pollinator Safe Leaders are our strength around Colorado: you reach out to neighbors, community members, business owners and leaders, collect pollinator safe pledges and employ outreach strategies that work best for you. You don’t have to know all the answers or know every person who lives in your neighborhood or community. You don’t have to do all the work yourself. Being a Pollinator Safe Leader requires little more than dedication, drive and a passion to grow the pollinator-safe movement in Colorado. This Guide includes a copy of the Pollinator Safe Pledge and ideas for conducting outreach and education in your community. Sign up to be a Pollinator Safe Leader and to receive resources and tips for creating a pollinator haven here: BE A POLLINATOR SAFE LEADER Overview: Steps to Creating a Pollinator Safe Community Designate a Pollinator Safe Leader or gather a team that would like to build safe habitat in their communities. Set short- and long-term goals to measure success. A short-range goal could be holding an educational meeting/gathering on your block to explain the importance of providing blooming plants for wildlife throughout the growing season and reducing and eliminating pesticide use. A long-term goal could be establishing a block of pollinator safe properties. Provide resources to the community regarding pollinator safe, region appropriate plantings and natural management strategies. Ask neighbors or other property managers to sign PPAN’s Pollinator Safe Pledge . Pledgers can choose to have their property displayed on a public map . Watching habitat expand is inspiring! Display a pollinator habitat yard sign to indicate that a pledge has been signed and to spark conversations with neighbors. Determine what educational strategies work best in your community (neighborhood presentations/tips, plant exchanges, kid-related activities, community plantings, partnering with businesses, etc.) Continue to spread the message by choosing at least three activities per year from suggested activities included below and in this Guide . Speak with neighborhood organizations about creating pollinator habitat , nurseries about providing organic plants and local leaders about what can be accomplished city-wide by using pollinator safe land management practices. Let us know about your successes and challenges. Send stories, photos or videos to be shared in the PPAN Enews or on social media. Suggested Activities Ask community members to sign PPAN’s Pollinator Safe Pledge (print out copies of the Pledge from this guide or direct people to sign the Pledge on the PPAN website here. Aim to collect ten new pledges each year. Pass paper pledges back to PPAN so pollinator safe properties can be displayed on the website map. Watch the habitat areas grow! Sign up new Pollinator Safe Leaders here . Join a PPAN local chapter. Host an informational gathering or potluck for community members to learn more about the issue. Provide resources such as plant lists and sources of safe plants and seeds. Ask people to display the Colorado Pollinator Habitat sign . It’s a good conversation starter! Contact PPAN to receive habitat signs for a suggested donation of ten dollars. Speak with local and state leaders about the issue. Host a pollinator safe plant and/or seed exchange in the spring or fall. Host a pollinator themed event. Show a film about the importance of pollinators. Speak to local nurseries about supplying organic and native plants/seeds and alternatives to pesticides. Let PPAN know if you are aware of a local business that has a pollinator safe philosophy and we’ll add them to our list of pollinator-safe businesses. If you are a resident of a Homeowner’s Association speak with the board and/or land managers about their current landscaping practices and your concern for human and pollinator health. Host a natural lawn care management workshop. It can be challenging to convince homeowners and other property managers that the landscape can be managed without the use of harmful pesticides. Providing simple steps for success can support the transition away from synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use. Encourage property owners/managers to transition from turf to pollinator habitat. Track the amount of turf removed in your community and number of pollinator safe plants added. Host a PPAN educational table at a local event. Host a native bee house-building workshop. Be a citizen scientist! Organize a neighborhood pollinator bio blitz and/or use the iNaturalist app to identify and track pollinators species found in yards and communities. This is a fun and educational way to learn more about the diversity of pollinator species and encourage some friendly competition amongst neighbors. Track increased diversity of pollinating wildlife as pollinator habitat grows! DOWNLOAD GUIDE PDF

  • Education & Support | People and Pollinators

    We can only change the trajectory for pollinators (and our planet!) by making sure that people are aware of their importance and how we can protect them. RESOURCES FOR THE POLLINATOR MONTH CELEBRATION RESOURCES Colorado Native Seed Starting Guide Pollinator Wildflower Seed Mix Native Perennial Bloom Season Low Water Native Plants for Native Pollinators Bee Basics How to Make Bee Houses Bee Block Recipe Other Pollinator Resources Keystone Native Plants of Ecoregion 10

  • Become a Sponsor | PeopleandPollinators

    Become a PPAN Sponsor Are you a business interested in partnering with PPAN on one of our projects, events, or ongoing efforts? Learn more about our sponsorship offerings below or download our sponsor packet using the icon to the right! View Our Current Partners 1 2 8 1 1/8

  • Volunteer in Denver Parks | PeopleandPollinators

    VOLUNTEER IN DENVER PARKS GARDENMAP POLLINATOR GARDENS IN THE CITY OF DENVER Visit these city pollinator garden beds to see monarchs and other pollinators in Denver. Let us know if you know of any pollinator gardens in Colorado and we'll add them here! VOLUNTEER WITH US » Volunteer to help our Pollinators Help plant & weed our Denver parks! Click to view the maps below: Big Garden (Wash Park) Ida's Rock Garden (City Park) Cordova Rock Garden (City Park) Mount Vernon Garden (Wash Park) Sopris Garden (City Park) Alamo Placita Park Denver Parks and Recreation has several amazing horticulturists who are working to create year-round pollinator habitat at Denver's public parks, and they are looking for passionate community members to volunteer! We are so excited to support their efforts and get this opportunity on your radar! This year we are excited to be offering volunteer days at Washington Park , C ity Pa rk, and Alamo Placita Park ! Please se e the buttons above for directions to each garden, and check out the volunteer schedule below. If you are interested in volunteering, please submit THIS FORM to help us track participation, and COMPLETE THIS WAIVER to bring with you on volunteer days. DPR waiver forms will be available on-site if you have not already filled one out. Be sure to bring your own gardening tools! Note for City Park : Contact Georgia Garnsey @ ggarnsey@ecentral.com to be added to the City Park email list, where you can stay up to date with the weekly schedule. Adopt a Rose Bed in City Park! Plots in the Benedict Rose Garden are available for adoption. Individuals or groups sign up to maintain one or more of the plots - weeding, pruning, and Japanese Beetle control. Contact Maria Flora at mjflora@msn.com if you want to adopt a rose bed. We can't wait to see you out there! JOIN THE VOLUNTEER LIST » Key to the success for our pollinator gardens is avoiding the use of chemicals. Ongoing help with weeding and bed maintenance really helps support this effort! Live in the Washington Park area? Join the Wash Park Pollinator Corridor! VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIAL: “I have learned so much about Colorado native plants, and I look at our parks, pollinator gardens, meadows, and prairies with new appreciation.” - Mary H. VOLUNTEER WITH US » If you're a gardener or not, join us and we can help teach you what are weeds, what are natives, and how to plant more pollinator-supporting-natives in our landscapes. Volunteering to help take care of our pollinator beds in our parks helps Denver Parks and Recreation reduce and eliminate the need for herbicides, so volunteering makes a HUGE difference. Last summer, People and Pollinators and partnered up with the Rick and Vicki of the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter to coordinate volunteer days to help take care of our parks and natural areas. We met with Rahman Minhas and Carol Wise, Denver Parks and Rec Horticulturists, who directed us on planting, and what to remove. We learned a lot along the way! Bonus: It's great exercise and you're surrounded by native plants and pollinators for a pleasant & stress-reducing volunteer experience outdoors. No pressure: Come when you can, we will be coordinating volunteer days every week. We worked on these pollinator gardens in 2021, make sure to go check them out if you can! (See map at the bottom of this page ) Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden Central Park Aurora Kelly Reservoir DENVER PARKS VOLUNTEERS PHOTO GALLERY Want to share your pollinator photos of volunteering and spending time in our Denver Parks? Please send them our way or post on Facebook or Instagram and tag us @peopleandpollinators VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIAL One of the Wild Ones Volunteers, Mary, wrote this great testimonial at the end of the 2021 summer season: “Over the last five months, I have participated in the partnership between Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Wild Ones Front Range (WOFR), a group which seeks to preserve biodiversity in native plant communities. I volunteered as a WOFR member to help establish and maintain pollinator gardens in DPR’s parks, an effort led mainly by Rahman Minhas of DPR. Looking back at the dates, I see that the spring and summer flew by. At each session about four to eight volunteers would turn out. Meeting people, sharing our experiences, and making friends was what made this so fun for me. Rahman is an encyclopedia of information about horticulture and carries a vision for the future of sustainable green spaces in Denver. He tirelessly answered our questions and always made us feel like our work was meaningful. MARY'S SUMMARY OF VOLUNTEER DAYS: May 19 – Greenway Park, East 26th Ave – planted pussytoes and prairie cinquefoil from DPR’s greenhouses May 26 – Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden, East Montview Blvd – weeded out prickly lettuce and bindweed June 2 – Central Park, MLK Blvd – planted thistle and weeded out kochia June 27 – Great Lawn Park, Yosemite St – identified chocolate flower and saw an Achemon hawk moth July 14 – Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden – weeded out copious bindweed July 28 – Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden – I identified the beautiful datura, or devil’s trumpet, and learned that it is poisonous August 11 – Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden – due to poor air quality, we all worked for only a short time, but I identified millet and rose mallow August 25 – Greenway Park – the conversation turned to the Colorado Native Plant Society; I went home and joined CoNPS September 22 – Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden – we collected seed from at least nineteen plant species October 6 – Westerly Creek Butterfly Garden – we collected seed from yellow Indian grass, wild Canadian rye, big love aster, and more I hope that the leadership at DPR and WOFR will continue this partnership next year. I have learned so much about Colorado native plants, and I look at our parks, pollinator gardens, meadows, and prairies with new appreciation.” ~ Mary H., Wild Ones Volunteer

  • Earth Month #forthebees | People and Pollinators Action Network

    Let's protect the little creatures that we can't live without during this year's Earth Month! 🌎 🐝 🦋 🐞 Your support #forthebees makes the difference between a silent spring and a buzzing one. THANK YOU! Mother Earth Needs Bees + Pollinators Every Month 🌎 #forthebees ! Pollinator conservation is one thing we can all do something about. Converting even one small garden from grass or hardscape into pesticide-free native and pollinator-friendly plants makes a meaningful impact for these little creatures. We know from a decade+ of successes in Colorado that advocating at the neighborhood, school, city, and county scales creates critical changes that add up to state policies and national precedents. Colorado is becoming a haven for pollinators and the ecosystems they support, thanks to you taking action, whether that's in the garden, at the hive, at your neighborhood park, with your City Council, or at the state Capitol—and PPAN is with you every step of the way. Thank you for making a gift today to keep the movement growing! People & Pollinators Action Network's EIN is #47-2260229. Our mailing address to receive checks is PO Box 355 Niwot, CO 80544. Contact us to discuss planned giving or gifts of stock, crypto, or other assets. 🔒 We protect and will never sell or share your data. You're always in control of your monthly gift and your inbox. Questions? Reach out to Emily KenCairn , Director of Development & Communications.

  • Sign the Pledge Wix FORM | PeopleandPollinators

    Pollinator Safe Property Pledge Contact Information First Name * Last Name * Business Name (if you are taking the pledge as a business and want your business listed) Email * Contact Phone Address (Please select from the dropdown) Comments or message to coordinators Pollinator Safe Pledge * I am committed to maintaining a pollinator friendly property. I do not use pesticides and I do my best to plant pollinator safe plants. Public Map * May we show your pledge on a public map? * PPAN maintains a public online map of pollinator safe pledgers. Allowing us to show your pledge on our public map shows your neighbors that you are pollinator safe! A red map pin icon will appear in the general area of your property, but your name and actual address will not be revealed. Yes No I am not a robot What is two plus two? Submit to Sign the Pledge Make sure you selected an address from the dropdown. Please check your answers and try again. Thanks for pledging!

  • Eldorado Canyon Volunteering | PeopleandPollinators

    VOLUNTEER AT ELDORADO CANYON STATE PARK Eldorado Canyon is an organically managed state park! Did you know that Eldorado Canyon doesn't spray herbicides to manage its invasive weeds? To control weeds, they use biological agents (bugs that target very specific invasive species) and hand pulling--and volunteers are at the center of this mission! Check out the multiple opportunities for stewardship volunteering at Eldorado Canyon State Park below. HELP PULL WEEDS & COLLECT SEEDS! Herbicides are currently not used in the park, and mechanical removal of noxious weeds (and monitoring locations) keeps weeds under control. Meet at the Visitor Center, wear long pants and long sleeves. WEDNESDAYS: weeding and seeding activities at Crescent Meadows FRIDAYS: weeding and seeding activities in the Inner Canyon Gloves, tools and bags (if necessary for seeds) will be provided. JOIN THE POLLINATOR MONITORING PROJECT! Eldorado Canyon State Park will be included in Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s pilot project for bumblebee monitoring and for butterfly monitoring . You do not need to know insects in order to join, and data collected will contribute to conservation plans. For the project, you must complete a minimum of 2 monitoring outings between June 1 and August 31. Training available! Join the email list to stay up to date on local ecosystem restoration projects on public natural lands. JOIN THE LIST Photo from Boulder CVB. If you are interested in volunteering at Eldorado Canyon, please contact Stephanie Sisnory at stephanie.sisnroy@state.co.us

  • Pollinator Successes | People and Pollinators

    The People and Pollinators Action Network’s staff and leaders have made a lot of progress over the years! Check out all of our recent successes and accomplishments. OUR SUCCESSES People and Pollinators Action Network’s team and community partners have made much progress over the past decade! Check out some of our successes and accomplishments below: JOIN OUR EFFORTS » PRACTICES TO SUPPORT POLLINATORS BILL 2026 PPAN introduced and stewarded this bill through the 2026 legislative session. HB26-1132 promotes native plant use in balance with wildfire mitigation, climate resilience, noxious weed control, agricultural production, and public safety. This flexible approach will ensure that pollinator habitat improvements are site-appropriate and aligned with the state's land-management goals. SECURED WILIDFE STATUS FOR INVERTEBRATES & RARE PLANTS 2024 Championed the policy recommendation to add invertebrates under the authority of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) department and supported the passing of HB24-1117 . This bill statutorily recognizes invertebrates as wildlife in Colorado and mandates their inclusion of species to be studied and protected. POLLINATOR RESOLUTIONS & PROCLAMATIONS Ongoing We have helped to pass Pollinator Resolutions in multiple CO counties and municipalities, including the City of Boulder, Boulder County, City of Lafayette, City of Longmont, City of Denver, Town of Berthoud, City of Cherry Hills Village, Larimer County, City of Loveland, Town of Carbondale, Town of Basalt, and more. POLLINATOR & HUMAN HEALTH BILL INTRODUCED 2022 Introduced Colorado’s first omnibus Pollinator & Human Health bill (SB22-131), which sought solutions to protect children’s health, preserve pollinator biodiversity and allow communities to make decisions about pesticide use. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR IPM Ongoing Create training opportunities for government and commercial pesticide applicators. SAFE PARKS, SAFE PLAY - ORGANIC TURF PILOT PROJECTS 2019 - 2025 Beginning in 2019, PPAN with Beyond Pesticides and other partners, has launched organic turf pilot projects in Boulder, Lakewood, Golden, Longmont, and elsewhere to transition conventionally-managed parks to organic and make them safer for people, pollinators, and pets. Read more and access resources here . ESTABLISHED COLORADO POLLINATOR MONTH 2017-2026 Each year we work with the Governor's Office to designate June as Colorado Pollinator Month, bringing awareness and action to our state's smallest wildlife . BUILDING THE COALITION TO REDUCE NEONIC POISONING IN CO 2025-2026 More than 80 farms, apiaries, restaurants, nonprofits, and medical groups have come together to help reduce unnecessary neonic poisoning in our state, while ensuring farmers' ability to use them when needed. The Seed We Need Coalition is growing; Join today! LOCAL CONTROL OF PESTICIDES BILL INTRODUCED 2024 Championed and supported HB24-1178 , to Restore Local Government Authority to Regulate Pesticides. After passing the House Energy & Environment Committee, the bill stalled in the House (despite having the votes) due to industry influence and countless delays. LAUNCHED STATEWIDE HABITAT FUND 2023 Using donations from the Protect Our Pollinators license plate , PPAN launched a statewide Habitat Fund to provide small grants to community organizations, businesses, governments, schools, farms, Indigenous Nations, public housing projects, and others for the creation or expansion of pesticide-free pollinator demonstration gardens. COLORADO POLLINATOR LICENSE PLATE BILL 2021 Championed and helped to pass the new Colorado Pollinator License Plate bill (2021)—sales of which will support vital pollinator conservation and advocacy programs across the state. Promote pollinators everywhere you go—order plates today ! CO-FOUNDED THE CO NATIVE LANDSCAPING COALITION 2020 Co-founded the Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition , working in collaboration with mission-aligned partners to advance policies that will transform landscaping across Colorado. SPEARHEADED CO's FIRST POLLINATOR POLICY (2018) 2018 Worked with the Department of Natural Resources to spearhead a new, comprehensive pollinator policy for state lands (2018). CO-FOUNDED THE COLORADO POLLINATOR NETWORK + SUMMIT 2015-26 PPAN initiated the creation of the Colorado Pollinator Network and co-hosts the annual Colorado Pollinator Summit each year. LIMITING TURF IN NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 2025 PPAN supported HB25-113 to Limit Turf in New Residential Development (new apartment and condominium developments). Nonfunctional turf refers to grass that is not actively used for recreation or other purposes. This bill is the latest in a series of legislative efforts to reduce turf that is not suited to Colorado's arid climate and demands excessive resources to maintain. TRACKING CONNECTED CORRIDORS THROUGH THE POLLINATOR-SAFE PROPERTY PLEDGE Ongoing PPAN's Pollinator-Safe Property Pledge puts thousands of pesticide-free pollinator-safe habitats on the map. Add your property to the map today ! CO NATIVE POLLINATING INSECTS HEALTH STUDY BILL 2022 Championed and helped to pass Colorado’s first Native Pollinating Insects Protection Study bill (SB22-199), which led to the Colorado Native Pollinating Insect Health Study , providing critical data and recommendations for conservation decisions about the protection of our state's native pollinators. PESTICIDE PREEMPTION BILL INTRODUCED 2020 Introduced SB20-189 , Colorado’s first bill to repeal state preemption of pesticide use—authorizing local governments to regulate pesticide use and application. CO-FOUNDED THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION 2019 The CEHC is working to build capacity and support for a coordinated toxics reduction strategy to protect people across Colorado from chemical toxics that are ubiquitous in our air, water, communities, and consumer products. HELPED TO CREATE CO'S FIRST POLLINATOR HIGHWAY 2017-2021 Championed a state resolution designating I-76 as Colorado’s first pollinator highway (2017) and launched the pilot planting project in 2018. Our partnership with CDOT continues with new pollinator plantings along Hwy 119 (2021). IMPROVED THE CO PESTICIDE APPLICATOR'S ACT 2015 Successfully advocated for new rules for Colorado’s Pesticide Applicators’ Act, which governs the Pesticide Advisory Committee, to mandate the inclusion of beekeepers and organic farmers and to create requirements informing the public of actions taken against workers who violate pesticide application rules.

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