As National Pollinator Week wraps up, we take a moment to celebrate our highlights. Though the official festivities conclude, the vital work of these tiny creatures continues, sustaining our flowers, fueling our food supply, and ensuring a vibrant, blooming world.
A Morning in the Meadow
“On Saturday, June 27, from 9 am to 12 pm, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay (WOCB) and Nurture Natives (NN) partnered once again for University Park’s (UP) 2026 Meadow Day. And what a morning it was!
This year’s event included a few special additions we were especially excited about. We debuted our origami butterflies and monarch “cootie catchers” featuring monarch trivia and life cycle facts. They were a huge hit! Dozens of kids came ready for the challenge and had a blast folding paper wings while learning about monarchs. We also gave out 175 common and swamp milkweed plants, all grown from seed by our chapter members. These plants are ready to go into the ground, where they’ll provide much-needed food and habitat for monarchs and other pollinators throughout the season.
Meadow Day holds a special place in my heart and in the story of WOCB and NN’s partnership. Back in 2023, during our very first Meadow Day together, Marlene and I stood just outside the meadow discussing the possibility of growing Nurture Natives from a 4-H project into a nonprofit organization. That conversation planted a seed of its own. Three years later, we’ve shared quite a journey!
It’s events like Meadow Day—where generosity, contagious enthusiasm, and a shared love for the natural world come together—that remind me why we do this work. Connecting with community members of all ages who are eager to learn and take part in conservation leaves me with a profound sense of hope and optimism, reinforcing my belief that there is immense joy in restoring what has been lost and nurturing what can still flourish.
Thank you to everyone who came out, planted milkweed, folded a butterfly, and shared the morning with us. The UP Native Pollinator Meadow on Adelphi Road is there to enjoy at any time. Stop by to see the native plants and thriving pollinators and keep an eye out for our next event. We’d love to see you there!” ~ Esther Bonney, Founder of Nurture Natives and Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay member (See event photos from Nurture Natives and Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay on Facebook)
Thank you to the UP-Sustainability team for inviting us back for our third year. We always enjoy celebrating alongside such awesome hosts and exhibitors, which this year grew to include 17 other like-minded organizations in celebration of the UP meadow.
ICYMI (in case you missed it), here’s what some of the hosts and exhibitors had to say in the Facebook LIVE reels hosted by MarySue Twohy:
- UP Sustainability Native Plant Giveaway
- Community Native Planting Project
- UP Meadow Day organizer, Kimberly Nugent
- UP Meadow Day organizer, Deborah Markenson
- Nature Forward
- University Park Mayor Morrissey
- UP Styrofoam Recycling
- Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and Nurture Natives
- Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
- Anacostia Watershed Society
- PG Parks Nature
“Thank you exhibitors, volunteers and attendees of 2026 UP Meadow Day! A success! The rain held off and hundreds of people came and enjoyed. Special thanks to our organizers Deborah Markenson and Kimberly Nugent! Thank you to Town of University Park Maryland and Hyattsville, Maryland – Municipal Government for your support! Yay!!” ~ UP Sustainability on Facebook (See event photos from UP Sustainability on Facebook)
“The meadow was truly shining for our 6th annual Meadow Day on June 27. Thanks to the investments from University Park and the City of Hyattsville, the contributions from our 18 exhibitors, and your collective support, we hosted a successful event for an estimated 210–250 attendees. Despite the weather challenges and a delay in the caterpillar delivery, the day was a great success. Thank you for your perseverance as we navigated the forecast; given the rain on Sunday, we are very glad we proceeded as planned on Saturday. Thank you again for your support. Best regards, Deborah and Kimberly” ~ Deborah Markenson and Kimberly Nugent, UP Sustainability Co-Chairs
Meanwhile in North Beach….
Chapter members Sue Williams, Robin Madel, and Lisa B Garrett celebrated pollinators and native plants at Bugfest at the North Beach Nature Center. From live bugs from the UMD Entomology Department’s InsectZOO to Bug Olympics and learning about bugs with Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, SOCO Seed Collective, Watershed Stewards, Master Gardeners, and Calvert County Department of Natural Resources, another 100 attendees enjoyed celebrating the importance pollinators.
Next Steps: Keeping the Buzz Alive All Year
As National Pollinator Week wraps up, we encourage you to take a moment to celebrate the unsung heroes of our ecosystem! From delicate butterflies and bustling bees to hummingbirds and moths, these tiny creatures work tirelessly to sustain our ecosystems.
The magic doesn’t stop when the calendar page turns. Pollinators are the quiet architects of our landscapes, turning every backyard garden into a bustling, living tapestry. Whether they are seeking sweet nectar for energy or collecting pollen to feed their young, they weave a beautiful web of life that sustains our entire planet. Think of every fluttering wing as a reminder that even the smallest, most delicate creatures make an outsized difference. As the season rolls on, consider how you can keep the celebration going every week to champion pollinators, support their habitats, and keep your garden thriving.
Join the Xerces Society Bring Back the Pollinators (BBTP) campaign. “Although pollinator conservation is a big task, it all begins with each of us adopting four simple steps: growing pollinator-friendly flowers, providing nest sites and shelter, avoiding pesticides, and spreading the word. With these core values, you can create conditions to support the entire life cycle of pollinators in any location, whether you tend an urban community garden or a suburban yard, work in a city park or on a farm. Make your commitment to these four principles official by signing our Pollinator Protection Pledge!” ~ Xerces
Read more about Xerces and their BBTP campaign on our Nonprofit Spotlight – Xerces blog.
Learn from the Experts
Discover more ways you can help create thriving habitats across North America!
- Visit the Pollinator Partnership resource hub
- Watch these extraordinary webinars: Who’s Living in Your Pollinator Garden? hosted by Xerces (view resource links) and Moths: An Unseen Majority hosted by Pollinator Pathway
- Read our Pollinator Week June 22-28, 2026 blog
Educate Others – How to Talk to Your Neighbors (and Your HOA) About Your Garden
You planted native. Your neighbor has opinions. Maybe your HOA does too. Now what? If you’ve ever felt like the hardest part of native plant gardening is the conversations, not the gardening, you’re not alone. Part of the Less Lawn More Life Challenge, this free webinar will help you communicate the value of native plants with confidence. Not part of the challenge yet? Join thousands of people transforming their outdoor spaces into habitat.
In this webinar, author and activist Lorraine Johnson gets into the how: how to talk to neighbors who don’t get it yet, how to respond to HOA complaints or bylaw challenges, and how to build support in your community for the kind of garden that actually does something for the ecosystem. With three decades of writing and advocacy behind her, Lorraine has seen these conversations play out in every direction – and she’s full of practical, grounded advice for navigating them well.
- Date: Wednesday, July 22
- Time: 7:00 PM Eastern Time / 6 PM CT / 5 PM MT / 4 PM PT
- Location: Online! Register here. A link to watch will be emailed to registrants.
✍️M.Smith
Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is deeply rooted in native plants and cultivating partnerships, while striving to educate, advocate, and collaborate to connect people and native plants for a healthy planet. Our vision is native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community. Check out our Events page, Google calendar, Facebook, and/or Instagram for our upcoming events. And don’t forget to subscribe to our new YouTube channel and email subscriber list!
