September is a special month in Los Alamos. Bee City Los Alamos, together with Los Alamos County, invites everyone to step outside and join us for the National Parks and Recreation Association (NPRA) Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz. Help document our amazing pollinators, plants, and wildlife in our community’s natural spaces.
A BioBlitz is a community driven event designed to collect data from observations of the environment. Throughout the month of September, community members are encouraged to use the free iNaturalist app to snap photos of pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, along with any other wildlife or plants they encounter. Each observation contributes to a nationwide effort to celebrate pollinators and raise awareness about their critical role in our ecosystems. Last year, Los Alamos participants made over 500 observations and identified nearly 250 species of flora and fauna. That was an incredible start — and this year, the hope is to document even more.
Pollinators are in crisis, but our community can make a difference. As Los Alamos Community Services Director Cory Styron shared, “One thing we want to do is to increase the awareness of the community on the importance of pollinators in our ecosystem.” Programs like Bee City’s Backyard Pollinator Garden Project and the Pollinator Demonstration Garden are already creating habitat and awareness locally. By joining the BioBlitz, you’ll be part of a bigger effort to track and celebrate pollinator health in Los Alamos County.
In addition to documenting pollinators with iNaturalist throughout the month, Bee City Los Alamos is hosting two community events to bring people together. On Wednesday, September 10 from 5 to 7 p.m., join us for an anniversary celebration at the Pollinator Demonstration Garden, located behind the County Extension Office between the Betty Ehart Senior Center and Bathtub Row. Stop by to admire blooming native plants, spot pollinators, help pull a few weeds, and have some cookies. Then, on Wednesday, September 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., come out to the golf course to help rake and sow seeds of native grasses and flowers in an area designated as a new pollinator-friendly section of the course. To volunteer for either event, visit www.volunteerlosalamos.org or contact Bee City Coordinator Britton Donharl at coordinator@beecitylosalamos.org.
This September, let’s come together to celebrate pollinators and the beauty of Los Alamos’s natural spaces. Whether you’re making observations on iNaturalist, helping in the garden, or sowing seeds at the golf course, your participation matters. Together, we can showcase the incredible biodiversity in our own backyard and support a healthier future for pollinators.