Eastern Sanders County Conservation District (ESCCD) and Green Mountain Conservation District (GMCD), with the support of Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG), have joined forces to help local pollinators in the area. The conservation districts will be offering free pollinator seeds to support pollinator habitat in your own backyard.

“Not only will this seed mix provide beautiful flowers and other native plant species, it will also increase pollinator habitat in Sanders County,” said ESCCD administrator Emily Baker. “Did you know that one in three bites of food is supported by pollinators, such as bees? Pollinators travel from plant to plant, carrying pollen trapped in the fine hairs on their legs and bodies, allowing the plant to reproduce.”

By participating in the pollinator initiative through ESCCD and GMCD, Baker says residents can help attract these helpful pollinators to their properties. “If you are interested in growing food for pollinators, free seed mix is available through both the Conservation districts as a part of the Sanders County Pollinator Initiative,” Baker said. “Pollinators are very busy creatures but even amid this hustle and bustle they are providing vital ecosystem services to plants and humans alike. They have a large economic benefit to the agricultural industry, since pollination is not possible without them.”

The seed mix is specially selected for western Montana and includes flowers of all shapes and sizes. It is best planted in the early spring or late fall. To prepare you for the spring planting season, the area conservation districts, along with assistance from partner organizations, will be having five seed handout events.

The first seed handout is Saturday, May 13, at the Hot Springs Farmers Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Tuesday, May 16, the conservation districts will be at the fairgrounds riverside parking lot in Plains from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thompson Falls Library will host a free seed handout event on Tuesday as well from 2-4 p.m. On Wednesday, May 17, an event will be held at the Pilgrim Creek Park in Noxon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at Trout Creek Park from 2-4 p.m.

Through the Pollinator Initiative, the support of the LCFWG and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s 223 Program, conservation districts can connect landowners with support for developing a pollinator garden as well as implementing other conservation practices, such as improving streamside vegetation or installing riparian fencing.

For more information, contact ESCCD at (406) 830-8687 or [email protected] or GMCD at (406) 827-4833 or [email protected].