This Saturday, June 17, why not join the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore at First Magnitude Brewing Co. for Pollinator Palooza?
This free festival runs from 2-8 p.m. and will feature live music, four different food trucks, and for the 21-and-over crowd, three special pollinator-themed beers, two of which feature yeast isolated from rare pollinators, the blue Calamintha bee and the frosted elfin butterfly. Ten percent of proceeds from these beers will help support imperiled butterfly recovery efforts in Florida.
Pollinator Palooza is the kickoff to Pollinator Week 2023, a celebration of pollinators and all the benefits they bring, including their key role in our ecosystem. It’s a great opportunity to learn about how important pollinators are, how to attract them, how to provide them with habitats and food, and more. Plus, each visitor to Pollinator Palooza gets a free plant! Choose from the Florida Skullcap, Simpson’s Stopper, Compact Firebush, and Firebush, as available.
This event is family friendly and besides the bookstore will feature the Florida Native Plant Society, UF Native Plant Nursery, Florida Wildlife Foundation, and more. Come join us and see what’s buzzing!
Pollinator Materials from the Bookstore
Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies
SP 610
By Jaret C. Daniels, who organized Pollinator Palooza, this book can help you turn your yard into a perfect habitat that attracts pollinators and helps them thrive. Learn how to landscape and create pollinator gardens with widely available perennials that are easy to care for and provide great benefits for wildlife. Inside you’ll find:
- Overview of native pollinator species in the Southeast
- Field guide to 110 native plants, organized by level of sunlight needed
- Quick-reference chart to plants, light levels, blooming periods, and what animals each plant attracts
- Hardiness zone information, weed control, tips, and more
- Bonus: Garden plans that can be customized to suit your specific interests
$22.95
Keep Monarchs Safe
SP 622
A fun option for kids and adults alike, this education coloring book outlines simple steps we can take to help monarch butterflies. As you color in Samm Wehman Epstein’s charming illustrations, you’ll experience the monarch’s life cycle and seasonal migrations. You’ll also learn about the milkweeds and other host plants that serve as a food source for caterpillars. The book closes with a glossary and a checklist of ways you can help monarch populations thrive. Perfect for classrooms, outdoor activities, or just relieving stress! Written by Kristin Rossetti and Jaret Daniels.
$3.99
Attracting Native Pollinators (Xerces Society Guide)
SP 555
From the publisher:
Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, and some beetles pollinate more than 70 percent of flowering plants, but North America’s native pollinators face multiple threats to their health and habitat. The Xerces Society offers a complete action plan for protecting these industrious animals by providing flowering habitat and nesting sites.
From Storey Publishing.
$29.95
Pollinator Power! Safari Kit
SP 550
This all-in-one, reusable learning lab combines a lesson plan designed by University of Florida experts for grades 5-8 with tools for hands-on learning about pollinators and how to grow a pollinator garden in your home or school.
Kit includes:
- 1 flash drive with Pollinator Power! A Lesson Plan for Grades 5-8 and printable resources
- 3 bug jars
- 1 butterfly net
- 1 magnifier
- 1 set insect rubbing plates
- 1 set flower rubbing plates
- 1 UF/IFAS Extension drawstring bag
$50.00
The Garden Next Door
SP 654
From River Horse Books:
Bored and hot on a lazy summer day, three young children watch as birds, bees, and butterflies zoom past them, over their fence, and into their neighbor’s mysterious yard. But there are no birds or bugs in their yard. And the neighbor’s yard glows with fireflies at night, while their yard is dark. Well, the kids are determined to find out why…and maybe make some changes to bring a little wilderness to their backyard.
A great introduction to wild gardens, pollinators, and nature conservation, young readers will see how simple and beautiful changes to their environment can have a profound impact on the animals and insects that share our world.
Written by Collin Pine; Illustrated by Tiffany Everett;
$18.99
And that’s not all!
The IFAS Bookstore has plenty of material on gardening for pollinators, including specifically for butterflies and moths or bees, and on native plants. See also our previous post for the Pollinator Short Course for more highlights.
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