Date: Saturday, March 23
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Ice House Building in Downtown Harrisonburg (127 West Bruce Street Entrance), Drifters Cafe, & Pale Fire Brewing Company
It's back by popular demand! Join us for Harrisonburg's Pollinators in Your Yard event, now taking place in Downtown Harrisonburg at the Ice House building and Drifters Cafe! This event, that celebrates ongoing efforts to support Harrisonburg as a pollinator-friendly city, is full of information and activities that the whole family may enjoy. The event kicks off with a discussion about pollinator-friendly initiatives happening around the City of Harrisonburg. Enjoy informative talks about different types of pollinator plant species and how to map out a pollinator space in your green space, proper pesticide use or pesticide alternatives, and how to manage invasive species. Also spend time visiting interactive education stations to learn more about pollinators and participate in activities that are friendly to the whole family! Admission is free.
Parking is available in the West Bruce Street parking lot, Water Street Parking Deck, Harrisonburg City Hall Parking Lot, and Harrisonburg Electric Commission Lot in appropraite parking spots. Please pay attention to public parking sigange guidelines/timeframes.
Main Event Entrance:
Press Release: Harrisonburg Public Works to Host Pollinators in Your Yard Event 
[473KB]
Schedule of Events:
Kick Off Discussion - 1:00pm - Ice House Building, 127 West Bruce Street Entrance
- Harrisonburg Pollinator Program - Jeremy Harold and Shayna Carter, Harrisonburg Public Works
Hear about current efforts with pollinator-friendly initiatives in Harrisonburg including the pollinator corridor and its gardens, specific species in the City, the Harrisonburg Conservation Assistance Program, and more!
Informative Talks - Repeat at 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm - Ice House Building (Choose one hour to visit Education Stations)
- Talk 1: Our Native Pollinators & Their Favorite Plants - Anna Maria Johnson, Virginia Master Naturalist, Lee Brown, JMU
Learn about some of our important pollinators and how they support life cycles for songbirds, people, and other animals here in the valley. Find out how you can help support them in your own yard or garden by planting the right plants. This presentation will include images of some of our native bees and other pollinators in the local area and introduce how to design and maintain your yard to make a healthy habitat.
- Talk 2: Protecting Pollinators from Pests - Ail Sloop, James Madison University & Wes Runion, Harrisonburg Public Works
Learn about the effects of pesticides on pollinators, exposure pathways, and best practices. Learn about invasive species found locally, the effects they have on native vegetation, and methods to control them.
Education Stations - 1:00pm – 4:00pm - Beside and inside the Ice House Building (127 West Bruce Street entrance), Drifters Cafe, and Pale Fire Brewing Company
Education Station Map & BINGO Card
No Rain Outside Map [6782KB]
Rain Indoor Map [6377KB]
Play Pollinator BINGO - by visiting Education Stations for a chance to win prizes! Pick up your BINGO Card at the event's welcome table at the Ice House! Pollinator BINGO Card
- Education Materials & Special Pollinator Activity - Virginia Master Naturalists Headwaters Chapter
- North River Library Butterfly Garden Information & Kids Activity - Massanutten Regional Library
- 5-Erosion Box Activity- Shenandoah Valley Soil & Water Conservation District
- Harrisonburg Conservation Assistance Program - Harrisonburg Public Works Stormwater Team
- Kids Take-Home Craft - JMU Bee Friendly Beekeepers Club
- Pollinator-Friendly Projects Display with Urban Wood - Rocktown Urban Wood
- Seed Bomb Activity - Harrisonburg High School Earth Club
- Butterflies of Harrisonburg Habitats - Dr. Amy Goodall & JMU Students
- Take Home Items & Pollinator & Native Flower Activity - Edith J. Carrier Arboretum
- Shop Pollinator Items - Horizon Gifts
- Pollinator Matching Game - JMU Geography Club
- Pollinator Books, Coloring Sheets, & Activities - The Gus Bus
- Pollinator Seed Library - JMU Community Seed Library
- Pollinator-Friendly Take Home Information - Blue Ridge PRISM
- Gardening Help Desk, Pollinator Information, & Kids Take-Home Games - Central Shenandoah Valley Master Gardner Association
- Bee Photography - Scott Jost, Professor/Photographer/Virginia Master Naturalist
- Kid-Friendly Activity - Project Learning Tree
- Educational Display and Take Home Items - Virginia Department of Forestry
- Conservation Landscaping: Highlighting Pollinator Species & Their Host Plants - The Natural Garden
- Hand Tools for Maintaining Natural Landscapes & Information - Harrisonburg Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Coalition
- How Organic Foods are Helpful to Pollinators & Upcoming Event Information - Friendly City Food Co-op
For more information contact Brittany Clem at Brittany.Clem-Hott@HarrisonburgVA.gov