Our Pollinator-Friendly Habitat
Every garden, whether it consists of fruit trees, vegetables or flowers, is aided by a variety of pollinators including bees, bats, hummingbirds, butterflies and even wasps.
Experience the Pollinators of BCA
We are excited to extend a warm invitation for you to join us on an unforgettable journey as we delve into the captivating realm of butterflies and bees, where you will have the opportunity to observe their stunning colors, understand their fascinating behaviors, and appreciate the essential contributions they make to our environment!
The Pollinators of Bellefontaine
Pollinators are the hardworking, often tiny, creatures that are essential to life on Earth. At Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum, our carefully cultivated gardens and wild, naturalized spaces serve as a vital habitat for a wide variety of species. From the buzzing of bumble bees to the graceful flight of monarch butterflies, you can see nature’s crucial work happening all around our grounds. Our conservation efforts support these amazing animals throughout the seasons. While bees and butterflies are the most visible pollinators, moths play a crucial role, especially at night. They visit flowers that bloom after dusk, helping to pollinate plants like evening primrose and yucca. In the spring and summer, our native prairie plantings, like the vibrant Meadow Phlox and Dotted Mint, provide abundant food. As autumn arrives, fall-blooming asters like the New England Aster, Smooth Aster, and Heath Aster offer a critical source of nectar and pollen as other flowers prepare for winter.
Bees
The world's most recognizable pollinator, the bee, is an essential part of the ecosystem here at Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum. Our grounds are a sanctuary for a wide variety of native bees, including a very special type of pollinator, the bumble bee.
Butterflies
With their beautiful colors and graceful flight, butterflies are a welcome sight on our grounds. Bellefontaine is a key habitat for many species of butterflies, including the iconic monarch. Our efforts to cultivate a variety of native plants, especially milkweed, help provide a safe haven and food source for these beautiful creatures.
Partnerships
Thanks to the habitat reconstruction and native plant horticulture work that has been implemented over the past decade at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, our Arboretum grounds support a wide diversity of wildlife, including pollinators.
This work is part of a collaborative effort with our partners:
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC): MDC recently visited BCA to survey the bumble bee population in Evergreen Meadow as part of a citizen science project. Special thanks to MDC for financially supporting our prairie restoration (Evergreen Meadow) and woodland restoration/stormwater management system (Evergreen Glen)
The Xerces Society: This survey is a part of the Bumble Bee Atlas, a citizen science project of the insect conservation group. The bumble bees are captured temporarily, identified, and then released unharmed.
We are thankful to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and BrightSide St. Louis for the grant received through the Butterfly Byway program, which facilitated the purchase of seeds for native plants.
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