Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly on native Cleome serrulata, White Rock, NM | Photo by Dana Ecelberger
Mission of the Project
By thinking globally, and acting locally, we commit to working together as a community to conserve our native pollinators through planting an abundance and diversity of native plants, providing nesting sites, applying conscientious management of planted and natural areas, and a County-wide commitment to reduce the use of pesticides.
News & Updates
It’s official! We are a Bee City USA Affiliate as of 2/16/2024! We are one of over 200 affiliates across the United States!
SALA will be showing “The Last Bumblebee” Friday May 3rd at 6 pm.
Join us on Saturday May 18th from 8am to 12 pm at Bathtub Row next to Mesa Library for our 2nd Volunteer day in the Pollinator Demonstration Garden! Get all the details and sign up here: https://www.volunteerlosalamos.org/need/detail/?need_id=934658
Bee City Committee Meeting May 21st from 4-5 pm at PEEC Nature Center in Los Alamos
Recommended Native Plant List for Los Alamos County & Color Photo Guide
This is a list of plants that are native to the Jemez Mountain area that are relatively easy to grow, will do well in Los Alamos and White Rock, and can usually be found in nearby nurseries or as seeds.
Scroll down to find the Color Photo Guide and links to websites with more information about each plant.
Native Pollinator Guide
Coming Soon!
New Mexico is rich in native pollinators. Check back soon for a list of some of our local pollinators and tips on how to identify them.
PEEC is hosting an iNaturalist Citizen Science project that you can get involved with to help us photograph and identify local insects and plants.
Contact PEEC for more information about how to get involved.
Results from this project will go toward creating the Pollinator List and establishing a baseline of diversity and abundance. This will help us track changes over the years.
Backyard Pollinator Garden Project
Inspired by Xerces Santa Fe, we will be hosting a Backyard Pollinator Garden project that you will be able to sign up for in late Summer 2024.
We will be holding workshops, trainings, and plant give-aways!
Click HERE for more information about his project.
Sign up at the bottom of this page for our mailing list to receive updates about this exciting program.
Or, email us at contact@beecitylosalamos.org
Pollinator Resources & Information
Xerces is a treasure trove of information. Here you will find lots of Xerces resources plus scientific papers and other interesting links to expand your knowledge & understanding of pollinators, why they matter, & how you can help to support them.
Click HERE to access the Resource Page
Bee City Blog
Check here each month for new blog posts by staff and guest writers about pollinators, native plants, gardening in the high desert and much more.
Click Here to go to the Blog
Educational & Youth Resources
Xerces hosts a youth program called X-Kids. Click here to find out how to get your youth involved: https://xerces.org/xkids and for great educational resources: https://www.xerces.org/education
Also, be sure to sign up for PEEC’s mailing list so you can receive updates on local activities for children, families and everyone in between @ https://peecnature.org/
Citizen Science Opportunities
PEEC’s Citizen Science project starts on April 20th, 2024. You can participate in gathering data on native pollinators and the plants they frequent.
Come to PEEC’s Earth Day celebration, April 20 from 10-2 at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center at 2600 Canyon Road, Los Alamos NM to learn more about native pollinators, native plants, the Los Alamos County Bee City initiative, and much more.
Click HERE for more information about the PEEC Citizen Science Project
Bee City Los Alamos Committee Meetings are open to the public
Our Committee meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 4-5 pm at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center located at 2600 Canyon Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544.
Sign up for our mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter or email us at: contact@beecitylosalamos.org
Click HERE for more information on the BCLA Committee Structure & Members
Pajarito Environmental Education Center
An incredible local resource, PEEC is our host organization and a great place to watch pollinators and birds in action, learn more about the local ecology, take wildflower hikes, learn about our wildlife and more!
Go to PEEC’s home page to navigate through all of the programs & resources available: https://peecnature.org/
Los Alamos County Parks & Recreation | Integrated Pest Management Plan
The County of Los Alamos (Parks & Recreation Department) & Pajarito Environmental Education Center (our host organization) are our primary partners. Stay tuned for some exciting pollinator projects on County land that we are undertaking in partnership with L.A. Parks & Recreation and PEEC!
You can find out more about Los Alamos County Parks & Recreation & the updated Integrated Pest Management Plan by clicking HERE.
Los Alamos Community Seed Library & Northern New Mexico Gardeners
Los Alamos County is fortunate to have not one but THREE seed libraries: the Mesa Community Library; the White Rock Library; and PEEC. All three offer locally saved & donated seeds of vegetables, herbs, native plants & more! They also welcome volunteers to donate and to help process & package seeds. Here is the link to their Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/741830773546650
There is also a Northern NM Gardeners group that has lots of great information about growing in our short, high desert climate. Here is the link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/601402053284505
If you don’t use Facebook, you can email the seed library for more information at: lacomseedlib+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Master Gardeners of Los Alamos & Santa Fe
Los Alamos Master Gardeners is a group of expert gardeners who have gone through the NMSU Master Gardener training. You can turn to them for questions about gardening in our high desert climate. Here is a link to their webpage: https://www.lamgonline.org/
Santa Fe Master Gardeners has a robust Pollinator garden program with lots of helpful information & plant lists. Here is the link to their project listings: https://www.sfemg.org/projects
If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, you can find out more about the program through the Los Alamos Extension Office here: https://losalamosextension.nmsu.edu/gardeners/mgc.html
Photos on this page taken by Dana Ecelberger in White Rock and East Fork Jemez, NM 2023