AHS News & Blog

AHS Joins Million Pollinator Challenge

The American Horticultural Society (AHS) has joined with dozens of other gardening and conservation organizations to form the National Pollinator Garden Network (NPGN). This new coalition is launching a nationwide campaign – the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge – in response to President Barack Obama’s call to action to reverse the decline of a wide variety of pollinating insects ranging from honey bees to native bees and butterflies.

The NPGN, which collectively represents nearly one million active gardeners and 15,000 schoolyard gardens, is challenging the nation to reach the goal of one million additional pollinator gardens by the end of 2016. The NPGN and its individual members will provide resources for individuals, community groups, government agencies, and the garden industry to create more pollinator habitat through sustainable gardening practices and conservation efforts.

As noted in President Obama’s 2014 Presidential Memorandum on Pollinator Health and recently released a National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, federal action combined with private sector partnerships and strong citizen engagement can restore pollinator populations to healthy levels. Pollinator gardens provide one way to reverse that decline by offering food, water, cover and places to raise young for honey bees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.

To tackle these challenges, the NPGN is rallying hundreds of thousands of gardeners, horticultural professionals, schools, and volunteers to help create a million pollinator gardens over the next two years. Any individual can participate by planting garden areas to support pollinators. “This challenge is a big step in the right direction,” says Tom Underwood, AHS executive director. “Creating a space that supports pollinators is something just about anyone can do to help make a difference.”

The AHS is proud to partner on this effort with organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, the American Public Gardens Association, the National Gardening Association, National Garden Clubs, Inc, and the American Society of Landscape Architects. To learn more, please visit www.millionpollinatorgardens.org.

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The American Horticultural Society (AHS), founded in 1922, is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to “Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens.” The mission of the AHS is to open the eyes of all Americans to the vital connection between people and plants, to inspire all Americans to become responsible caretakers of the Earth, to celebrate America’s diversity through the art and science of horticulture; and to lead this effort by sharing the Society’s unique national resources with all Americans.