It’s important to protect the pollinators that keep our park healthy. From what we plant, to how we care for our lawns, we’re taking steps to protect these vital species, their habitats and food sources. 

We plant native plants that attract pollinators. 

We nurture plants native to the New York City region to maintain adequate food supply for our pollinators in the park. Native plants also protect pollinators. For example, caterpillars and butterflies eat common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, which makes them taste horrible to predators like birds. Knowing this, birds will stay away from any creatures living within the milkweed. 

We made homes for our bees. 

Many bees don’t actually make hives, but are cavity-dwelling, laying their eggs in wood or soil. We’ve installed bee homes around the park, to provide a safe place for bees to lay their eggs away from park visitors, predators, and pests.  

We avoid pesticides. 

Pesticides are often applied to plants to protect them from harmful pests. However, pesticides can cause harm to entire food chains when ingested. At Madison Square Park, we use integrated pest management––a decision-making process using observations to scout pests before populations increase. This helps protect plants from predators while keeping pollinators healthy. 

We mow less.

Our lawns are home to nesting bees, like bumblebees, and the small flowers that grow on them are a great food source for some pollinators. We mow our lawns as few times as possible to protect this important habitat and food source. 

We use iNaturalist.

The most important thing we can do to protect our pollinators is to learn as much as we can about them. Join us in the park during National Pollinator Week from June 21–27 to help us discover pollinators and their habitats. Together, we will use the free iNaturalist app to make observations that will help us protect these important species and their habitats. 

Thank you to our sponsor: Eataly