Insect pollinators need three things to survive: food, shelter, and protection from insecticides. The resources listed below provide detailed information for how you can provide a healthy habitat for Wisconsin’s pollinators, whether you are a farmer, gardener, or homeowner.
Resources for Growers
Farming for Bees: Guidelines for Providing Native Bee Habitat on Farms. (The Xerces Society)
A detailed PDF booklet describing actions farmers can take to protect bees on their farm.
Protecting Pollinators and Improving Pollination on Wisconsin Cranberry Marshes. (University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension)
Wild Pollinators in Wisconsin’s Apple Orchards. (UW-Madison Department of Entomology)
Wild Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards and How to Conserve Them. (Cornell University, Penn State University, and The Xerces Society)
NRCS portal: How Farmers Can Help Pollinators
A portal to USDA sponsored programs for pollinator conservation.
Resources for Everyone
The Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Resource Center
Your go-to source for pollinator conservation in North America is The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Check out their website for region specific plant lists and conservation strategies.
A Few Publications We Like
Planting for Pollinators: Guiding Principles and Design Concepts for Residential Pollinator Habitat (Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources)
Supporting Native Bees: Our Essential Pollinators. (University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension)
Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks (The Xerces Society)
Mader, E., Shepherd, M., Vaughan, M., Black, S.H., LeBuhn, G. (2011). Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. 372 pages.
Participate in citizen science
WiBee: The Wisconsin Wild Bee App (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Project Wingspan (Pollinator Partnership)
Get trained to collect native seeds for pollinator habitat in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
Bumble Bee Watch (Xerces Society)
Journey North (University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum)