
Consult the City of Beaconsfield's Plan for Sustainable Development.
You too can do your part at home, at work, in your daily commute and in your community.
How to attract pollinators to your yard
While No Mow May campaigns have kicked off in some areas, Beaconsfield’s nuisance by-law stipulates that “to leave the lawn or any weed at a height of more than fifteen (15) centimetres constitutes a nuisance and is prohibited within the City”.
There are a lot of ways to support pollinators, that will have more impact than keeping your lawn mower under lock and key for a month. Insect pollinators (bees, bumblebees, wasps, hornets, ants, beetles, butterflies, diptera) need help from April to October.
Here are some options:
- Do not use herbicides and pesticides.
- Mix in low mow flowers – white clover is a perfect example. Your lawn will thank you for it by becoming more resistant against drought and less attractive for hole-digging critters.
- When planting a tree, choose a native species that provides excellent pollinator habitat.
- Create a garden or flower beds whose plant and flower diversity favours the presence of pollen. Opt for yellow, purple, white, or blue flowers, as insects cannot distinguish the colour red.
- Perennial flowers tend to be far more attractive to bees than annuals which mostly provide no or not enough pollen and nectar.
- Sow wildflowers on a part of your property.
- Tolerate dandelions – along with native trees, they are often the first source of food for pollinators after a long winter.
- Create nesting sites.
Providing habitat for pollinators is important for maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring the production of plant-based products. By implementing some of these suggestions, you can help support pollinator populations and promote the health of the natural environment not just during the month of May.
Blue Dot Movement
Community by community, this movement will inspire decision-makers across our provinces and territories to take notice. With so many communities calling for action from all levels of government, the next step is to have our provinces follow suit and pass environmental bills of rights.
89,558 Canadians have joined their local movement and 103 municipal governments have passed declarations recognizing the right to fresh air, clean water and healthy food.
The City of Beaconsfield has adopted the Blue Dot declaration on May 25, 2015.Click here to consult the declaration (PDF)
Blue Dot is a project of the David Suzuki Foundation and sponsors. For more information, visit: bluedot.ca