3 Good Reasons to Register your Pollinator Garden
You learned about native plants and pollinator gardens, and then you took the next step and created a beautiful garden full of life and vibrant energy. Now it’s time to take it one step further and make it official by registering your garden. There are multiple organizations to register with and here are 3 good reasons to register your pollinator garden:
- Registering lets you see that you are not alone in your conservation efforts and it also helps others see that there are many people around the country working hard to create habitat for pollinators. There is usually a map or directory that members can access to see just how many registered gardens there are.
- Registering your garden usually includes a free or low cost sign to place in your garden. A sign lets neighbors, local residents, and local authorities like code enforcement know about your garden and why it’s not a traditional (boring) grass/shrub combo. Your garden sign might even inspire others to care about pollinators.
- Registering allows you to support the organizations that work tirelessly to provide education and training materials (which are often free) about pollinators and the measures we can take to prevent them from going extinct.
Here are 4 organizations you can register your garden with:
- NABA (North American Butterfly Association): registration is $15 and includes a certificate, online access to their Butterfly magazines, and the ability to purchase a waterproof garden sign for $5 off (sign is $20). My front garden is registered with NABA.
- NWF (National Wildlife Foundation): registrations is $20 and you can purchase a nice weather-proof garden sign for $30 (also includes a certificate). They also have wall plaques available.
- Wild Ones: focuses specifically on native pollinator gardens; registration is free.
- Pollinator Partnership offers free registration and your garden will be pinned on a searchable map. It’s pretty cool to see how many pollinator gardens there are near your home!