Challenge: Pollinator Challenge, written by Michelle Goss Baxter

Closed June 15. Draw winner: Mike

See details in the message from Michelle below.

• Post your entry on Facebook, Slack, or email your entry to francesca.defreitas@gmail.com.
• Please include your name and unit number.
• Your entry will be posted here, and sent to Michelle for her to admire.

This is part of the Events Committee Weekly Quarantine Challenge.

Message from Michelle

Hello from Salt Spring Island!  I have been asked by the Events Committee to create a nature challenge for you.  What an honour!  I think of you often, and wonder how our amazing garden is growing.  

I understand that it has been challenging to visit the garden and the beehive during this time.  When I lived at the Co-Op, in addition to observing the bees on the roof, I would often wander through Hinge Park and the Community Gardens at the park and at Creekside Community Centre.  I would look for honey bees on flowers, bushes, and garden veggies.  I would wonder if the bees I found were “ours” or were they from the Science World hives.  Most of the time, I assumed they were ours and said a little “hi” as I walked by.   As I paid closer attention to the flowers, I also noticed other pollinators such as bumblebees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other native bees buzzing around.  

My challenge to you is to take several walks in the park and/or community garden this week and take photos of pollinators.  Share your photos on the Facebook page and see if you can name the pollinator.  Can you find a Co-Op honeybee?  Small and large bumblebees?  A butterfly?  

Here are some hints: 

• Bees do not like the rain or wind.  Generally, they stay at home on a rainy day (much like we are staying home now) and come out on nice sunny days.  Some will brave the weather, but you will not see many.

• Bumblebees come out earlier in the morning and stay out later in the day.  There are several native bumblebees in different shapes, sizes, and colours. 

• My observations of hummingbirds are that they come out in any weather.  There are many more hummingbirds in BC in the months of June/July/August because we get some migrating here from other parts of the world.  

What kinds of flowers to look for: 

• In a Community Garden at this time of year there are flowers in bloom that pollinators like to visit.  Chives, rosemary, kale (from last year), raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are some well known examples.  

• There are flowers in the park and garden that some consider “weeds.”  Bees particularly like dandelions and clovers.  Bumblebees like to rest on daisies. 

• Hummingbirds tend to like tube shaped flowers.  I have also observed hummingbirds sipping from very small flowers like rosemary and asparagus. 

• You may find bumblebees on Lupins.  Lupins can be pink or purple.  There are Lupins at Hinge Park. 

• There used to be a few bushes in Hinge Park called California Lilac.  This is a favourite of honeybees, bumblebees, and other native bees.  If you find this, the bush will be buzzing!  I do not know if these bushes are there anymore...but they used to be near the sidewalk on First Ave. in the park. 

• A landscape shrub in my neighbourhood called Cotoneaster is also buzzing with hundreds of bees right now.  Just like the California Lilac, bees of all shapes and sizes love this one.  I do not know if it is in Hinge Park, but you may find it with some other landscaping plants along a walk anywhere in Vancouver. 

• Catmint is a plant found in gardens all over Vancouver.  Bees also love this one.  

• I have included several photos of some of the flowers mentioned above.  

I am not on the Co-Op Facebook pages anymore, but if you find something really cool, or want to share your photos with me, I would love to see them!  My email is michelle.goss@gmail.com or you can find me easily on Facebook by searching my name. 

Have Fun! 

Click on an image from Michelle's garden to see it full size, and see the plant name.

Entries this week!

1. Alan, unit 413

2. Cameron, unit 409

3. Rowan, unit 409

4. Ada, unit 411

5. Kim, unit 408

6. Zaki, unit 408

7. Alec, unit 408

8. Emily, Maeve, and Quinn, unit 105

9. Pouneh, unit 211

10. Marlene, unit 411

11. Mike, unit 157

12. Ria, unit 311

13. Matt and Leyla, unit 204

14. Sebastian, unit 160

15. April, unit 160

16. Helen and Nico, unit 404