Pollinator Garden at Thurston County Fairground and Event Center

01/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AA6TkrQmn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/13/2025

Brrrrr! Fall is sure zipping along at a fast pace, with snow forecast in the Olympics and Cascades. But what do the bees do when it gets cold?

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the honeybee (Apis mellifera) queen will produce what is called winter bees during late summer. These winter bees do not leave the hive and forge. So what they are fed is stored within their little bodies as extra fat.  This is why it’s so important your flower gardens have blooms all the way through September early October. 

A typical spring and summertime honeybee lives 6 to 8 weeks. A winter honeybee is a bit larger with more fat stores and lives through January to February. The purpose? To keep the hive warm and ensure the brood of next spring’s bees makes it through the cold winter. Little fat bodies, buzzing, offering extra body heat to the entire hive!

Check out this video of what a bumblebee does in Lapland during the winter. Winters can get well below 0°F, and bumblebee queens are the only surviving member of their small colony each year. Enjoy!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPnfR-SkmmV/?igsh=MXJkeHI0YTE5Njc5Zw==

08/02/2025

Yay, it’s fair time! The pollinator garden is on prime time display, thanks to so many people who generously gave their time, their weeding efforts, and even donated some gorgeous plants. Thank you all so so much for bringing this garden to life once again. 

Thank you to Curb Appeal for the beautiful curbing around the garden. Thank you to the Olympia Beekeepers Association, Scatter Creek Nursery, Toni Ghazal for her Cape fuchsia donations, Bridget Wessa, who has recently joined our group, for which I am very grateful. She is a joy to work with.

Watson‘s greenhouse and nursery, and of course, WSU Thurston County Master Gardners, who showed up with their kneepads and smiles, and to Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County.  You are al so generous and so willing to help when the call comes forward.
You are all very precious to us,
helping us spread the message. Purchase and plant pollinator-safe plants, and they will come. Now let’s get out there and plant something ! 🐝🪴🦋


05/24/2025

Bumblebees have chosen to nest inside a fake birdhouse on our porch, a testament to the welcoming haven our yard and 2-acre property provide, filled with pollinator-friendly plants, shrubs, and trees.

This cozy nesting site near abundant pollen and nectar resources will be their thriving oasis during their short lifespan. While it may interrupt some of our periodic mail and Amazon deliveries, we've set up a sign to redirect those deliveries to a safer location.

In the next 6 to 8 weeks, baby bumblebees will hatch and take flight, and we're privileged to witness nature's wonders right at our front door. If you encounter a bumblebee nest, it's best to respect their space. My attempt to put up a sign near the nest resulted in three stings, a reminder that guard bees take their duties seriously! Fortunately, raw honey or Plantain leaves can provide quick relief from stings. Bumblebees are generally docile, allowing us to observe them as they flit from flower to flower collecting food, but when it comes to their home, they defend it with dedication.

Washington State University has prepared an insightful paper on bumblebees in home yards and gardens, offering valuable knowledge on coexisting with these vital pollinators. By embracing these incredible creatures, we can foster a deeper appreciation for the natural world and our role within it. As we watch these beautiful, fuzzy buzzing bees build their home, raise baby bees, and pollinate our flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable garden, we're reminded of the profound impact they have on our food supply and ecosystem. 🐝 🌺

12/21/2024

I just had to share this incredibly uplifting news! Today, Saturday, December 21, marks the winter solstice in the Pacific Northwest, and it's a time to rejoice because our days will start getting longer by minutes each day! Let's celebrate this turning point together! Check out this fantastic link to learn about what our incredible pollinators are doing during this chilly time of year. Happy winter solstice! ❄️ 🐝 birds https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CucE9khGk/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Happy Winter Solstice! Winter is here, but where do the pollinators go? Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and birds all display a variety of amazing and unique strategies in order to survive the cold weather and overcome the harsh climate of the approaching winter.

Native solitary bees, like this mining bee pictured here, it is common for females to lay eggs in underground nests, or in sealed and insulated cavities aboveground. These eggs then hatch and survive the winter as dormant adults waiting to emerge in the spring, or as developing pupae kept safe and warm inside nests. Once the weather is warm enough, emerged females will find their own independent nesting sites and lay the next generation of eggs.

Learn about where other pollinators go in the winter by reading one of our historic blog posts at pollinator.org/where-do-pollinators-go-in-the-winter-blog