Rochester Pollinators

10/17/2026

Rochester Pollinators loves seeing these types of pollinators gardens cropping up everywhere.

10/10/2026

NEW EPISODE: “Bugs Are Good” with David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation

Want your kids (or grandkids) to be curious about bugs instead of scared? David’s top advice for parents: don’t teach them to be afraid in the first place.

David is a naturalist and TV host who has spent 25 years helping families connect with wildlife. You may have seen him on Good Morning America, Conan, or Animal Planet’s Backyard Habitat. In this episode of We Have A Plant For That, we talk about:

• Why native plants are trending, and why David says we’re only scratching the surface.
• Why 96% of backyard birds depend on insects, and why a single chickadee family needs thousands of them to raise one nest
• How monarch butterflies “taste” milkweed with their feet
• Why honeybees aren’t native, and the thousands of native bees we should be protecting
• Simple ways to get kids outside, from nature scavenger hunts to growing sunflowers from seed
• Why planting even one milkweed counts

You don’t need a big yard or any expertise. A balcony, a container, or a windowsill is enough to start.

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4piJt7Es68pIzLC9lGHy5L?si=7sAzAlfKQo-lqQauvjyqkw

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-bugs-are-good-with-nwf-naturalist-david-mizejewski/id1881965357?i=1000793182532

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NglTRx6ULPM

Bugs aren't gross; they're essential, and that includes butterflies...

10/08/2026

Take a look at the video with the other three finalists and the City of Rochester’s Rochester Mini-Forest is the fourth. Having a great time in Traverse City at the Michigan Municipal League Annual Conference meeting so many city and counties leaders and sharing the City story about sustainability and conservation. Learning so much!

10/08/2026

We are here at the Michigan Municipal League Annual Conference with the over 500 people in Traverse City. Take a look at the four finalists for the Community Excellence Award and we are one for the Rochester Mini-Forest. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeNL2hlpC4k/?stkn=MTUxYWtpeW52aml1MA==

10/06/2026

We’re packing our bags — and the chocolates!

The City of Rochester's Mini-Forest is one of four finalists for the Michigan Municipal League Community Excellence Award, and we’re ready to share its story at the Michigan Municipal League. Mayor Debbie Jones, Council Member Nancy Salvia - Rochester City Council and Coordinator Michelle Berry Lane, and Councilmember Marilyn Trent have been rehearsing, preparing the exhibit and packaging a few special treats for convention attendees.
Rochester Pollinators is proud to have been part of this community-driven project from the beginning — helping turn 1,000 square feet of forgotten land into a thriving mini-forest with 290 native trees and shrubs.

But this project has always been about more than planting trees. It’s about what can happen when a city and its community work together.
Something extraordinary is growing.
We built more than a mini-forest. We built community.
We can’t wait to share Rochester’s story!

09/29/2026

🐝Look what OCC is offering as part of their Personal Enrichment series!
A Workshop: "Your Garden's Badge of Honor"
Transform your yard into a sanctuary! Learn how to design a monarch way-station that supports butterflies from larvae to adulthood. We’ll dive into the best local and national certification programs available and show you how to cultivate a rich wildlife habitat just steps from your home.🌱

Use the QR code in the image below for more info and to register! 🦋

09/27/2026

This video explains the 4 Black-eyed Susan’s in America. He talks about them like fine w**e.

09/24/2026

On Sunday, 17 volunteers came and planted native pollinator gardens at 8 Tiny Homes in Detroit in just 2.5 hours. Before they arrived, Ron, Erica and Marilyn laid out more than 400 plants so everything was ready to go in the ground.

The Tiny Homes project, supported by Cass Community Social Services, gives people who don't usually have a path to homeownership the chance to own a home. Now each home has a low-maintenance native garden that will support bees, butterflies and birds for years to come.

Thank you to every volunteer who showed up, rain and all, and to Channel 4 and Channel 7 for coming out to share the story.

I will be posting more as there was alot video we shot and it is a great story to tell!

09/17/2026

Marilyn, Ron and Michelle were at the Tiny Homes project to measure for the native plant gardens that will be planted on September 20. Hear what they have to say. A huge thank you to Ron for bringing his landscape measuring tool that he invented! Its amazing.