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Xerces Society Launches Pollinator Trail Initiative to Build Habitat for Pollinators through Santa Fe

Expert Contact

Kaitlin Haase, Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Xerces Society
(918) 639-2525  |  [email protected]

SANTA FE, N.M.; Wednesday, May 19, 2021---A new city-wide initiative will provide flower-rich spaces for bees, butterflies and other pollinators to call home across Santa Fe. The Xerces Society, in partnership with local residents and conservation organizations, is launching the Santa Fe Pollinator Trail program this spring, with the goal of creating connected, climate-smart pollinator habitat throughout the city.

“Santa Fe is an excellent location to launch this new program for urban pollinator habitat,” said Kaitlin Haase, Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist for the Xerces Society. “There is tremendous enthusiasm for pollinator conservation throughout the community, from individuals who are excited to grow native wildflowers to local nonprofits dedicated to urban conservation and environmental education.”  

As part of the trail project, Xerces is offering “habitat kits” of climate-smart, pesticide-free native plants to residents and local organizations who commit to establishing and maintaining these plants in yards, gardens and public spaces in urban Santa Fe. Each plant kit contains thirty-two native flowering perennials and one tree or shrub, perfect for use in a home garden or to create an education garden in a public space.

Many local organizations, agencies, institutions and individuals are partnering with Xerces to build pollinator habitat and community support for pollinators in Santa Fe.

“We’re happy to support the Santa Fe Pollinator Trail Project by displaying pollinator plants throughout the seasons in various garden settings,” said Cristina Salvador, collections manager with the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. “We recognize our pollinators need habitat connections and pathways throughout our community.”

This community effort to create pollinator habitat aims to ensure native bees and butterflies have places in which to thrive, boost plant diversity in accessible, outdoor public spaces, foster a community land ethic, and support a climate-resilient urban ecosystem.

“By being pollinator protectors, we are all doing our part to make life around us more resilient to our changing climate,” Salvador added.

The Santa Fe Pollinator Trail builds on several years of pollinator protection efforts at the city and county level. In 2020, Santa Fe County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to protect and enhance pollinator habitat. This year, the City of Santa Fe passed a resolution designating Santa Fe a Bee City USA affiliate, committing the city to habitat creation and educational efforts to sustain pollinators.

“Our local governments are actively supporting pollinators through policy,” said Haase. “The Santa Fe Pollinator Trail is the perfect opportunity for Santa Fe and its residents to put those pollinator protection resolutions into practice.”

 

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For more information about the Santa Fe Habitat Kit Program:

 

ABOUT THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects the natural world by conserving invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and advice. We collaborate with people and institutions at all levels and our work to protect pollinators encompasses all landscapes. Our team draws together experts from the fields of habitat restoration, entomology, botany and conservation biology with a single passion: protecting the life that sustains us. To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org or follow us @xercessociety on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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