Home Newsletters 2026 Pollinator Month

2026 Pollinator Month

Woman showing gardeners a pollinator garden.

Grow healthier ecosystems at home this pollinator month

May 27, 2026

URBANA, Ill. — Planting native flowers in a backyard, patio container, or community garden can provide critical food and habitat for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. This June, in recognition of National Pollinator Month, University of Illinois Extension encourages community members to create pollinator gardens at home to support the vital role insects and other wildlife play in the...

Blog articles

orange ditch lilies spreading through dense green foliage

Landscapes that support life: Replacing invasives with natives

May 14, 2026

Many people recognize bush honeysuckles (Lonicera maackii, L. tatarica, etc.) and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) as invasive species. Still, some lesser‑known plants are also on Illinois’ invasive species list. invasive plants in are the ones hiding in plain sight, including...

Finish this story

Events

A monarch butterfly sitting on a yellow flower next to a flying honeybee.

June 2, 2026

Planting Herbs for Pollinators: Support Your Local Bees, Butterflies, and Beyond! - Marion
Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kimberly Rohling, for a program designed to help you create a pollinator-friendly herb garden! In this session, you'll learn how to select, plant, and care for herbs that attract and support vital pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds....

An individual holds a wooden insect hotel that is a box frame with sticks, grass, and tubes.

June 4, 2026

Insect Hotels: Creating Habitat for Beneficial Insects
Discover how small structures can make a big difference for local wildlife in this hands-on insect hotel workshop!Dive into the fascinating world of beneficial insects and learn how these small-but-mighty creatures support pollination, healthy gardens, and thriving ecosystems. We’...

June 6, 2026

Planting Herbs for Pollinators: Support Your Local Bees, Butterflies, and Beyond!
Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kimberly Rohling, for a program designed to help you create a pollinator-friendly herb garden! In this session, you'll learn how to select, plant, and care for herbs that attract and support vital pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds....

A bumble bee sitting on a yellow flower.

June 9, 2026

Attracting Native Bees to Your Homestead
Gardens with abundant native bee populations tend to have higher crop yields. Better yet, you're helping the bees! Supporting native bee populations in your garden helps maintain biodiversity leading to resilient ecosystems and agricultural systems. Join Horticulture Educator Kim Rohling as...

June 18, 2026

Plantable Paper Seed Lab
Have you ever wanted to make plantable paper? Plantable paper, which can be made into a bookmark, ornament, or other keepsake, can then be planted in the ground to grow flowers. Join us for a Plantable Paper Seed Lab. We’ll explore plants native to Illinois and the wildlife they support. Then let...

A little Caucasian girl with a yellow and black moth on her face.

June 24, 2026

Mothscapes for Kids
Explore the secret world of moths as you create your own low-maintenance dry (non-living) terrarium. Learn about camouflage, habitats, and the moth life cycle along the way! Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Kim Rohling and Program Coordinator Erica Lunde to see how moth natural history...

A pollinator garden surrounding a wooden bridge in front of a brick building.

June 24, 2026

Rend Lake Pollinator Garden Stewardship Day
University of Illinois Extension is partnering with the US Army Corps of Engineers to provide public pollinator garden stewardship opportunities at the Rend Lake Project Office Visitor Center from February to October 2026.  Volunteers will receive training of how to care for pollinator gardens...

A girl with a magnifying glass looking at a grasshopper

June 24, 2026

Insects and Invertebrates
Join the University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalists and get ready to explore the tiny but amazing world of insects and other invertebrates!  Kids will discover cool characteristics and species through photos, preserved specimens, live critters, and — best of all — by catching their...

June 25, 2026

June 28, 2026

Bee the Change: A Pollinator Field Tour with Master Gardener Anne Hale
Explore the important role pollinators play in healthy ecosystems and productive landscapes during this guided tour of a pollinator habitat. This program will walk participants through the how and why behind pollinator fields.  Join Master Gardener Anne Hale as she explains the steps involved...

A pollinator garden featuring clusters of yellow Black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, and tall lavender hyssop spikes.

July 6, 2026

Creating Habitats for Pollinators
Ready to dive into pollinator-friendly habitat plant selection? Join us for a fun, hands-on class where you’ll learn how to create and care for a pollinator-friendly garden. Explore various garden layouts and features that enhance the habitat for pollinators.Each participant will leave with a list...

July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026

Nature Explorers Camp
Campers will have fun learning about our local reptiles and amphibians. We will get up close and personal with our resident cold-blooded creatures and learn “cool” new facts about them, too! We will learn how they survive, and we may get to see them in their native home. You might decide to become...

A Luna moth on a plant stem with Illinois Extension branding.

July 9, 2026

Gardening for Moths - Jackson County
Gardening for Moths is an educational program dedicated to creating sustainable, moth‑friendly garden spaces that nurture the many moth species essential to healthy ecosystems. While moths are often overshadowed by their daytime counterparts, they play a vital role as nighttime pollinators,...

July 11, 2026

Native Plant ID Hike
Take a walk through the prairie with Master Naturalists and learn to identify native prairie plants along the way. This guided hike at Dayton Bluffs Preserve is a great opportunity to build plant ID skills while enjoying the beauty of a restored prairie.

A child's hands with a monarch butterfly

July 17, 2026

Insects and Invertebrates
Join the University of Illinois Master Naturalists and get ready to explore the tiny but amazing world of insects and other invertebrates! Kids will discover cool characteristics and species through photos, preserved specimens, live critters, and — best of all — by catching their own bugs. It's a...

July 19, 2025

Insect Night Lighting
Celebrate National Moth Week with Illinois Master Naturalists! National Moth Week is an annual, global event that invites people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the mothing hobby by sharing photos of moths they find for citizen science.  Participants will learn about common moths...

July 20, 2026

Gardening for Moths - Marion Carnegie Library
Gardening for Moths is an educational program dedicated to creating sustainable, moth‑friendly garden spaces that nurture the many moth species essential to healthy ecosystems. While moths are often overshadowed by their daytime counterparts, they play a vital role as nighttime pollinators,...

July 20, 2026 - July 24, 2026

Nature Explorers Camp
Bug lovers unite! Be an entomologist for a week. What's the difference between bugs and insects? Come to camp and find out as we collect and study all kinds of creepy crawlers from the forest. We will make a live trap to see who crawls around at night. Camp is filled with games and hands-on...

July 21, 2026

Gardening for Moths - Pinckneyville
Gardening for Moths is an educational program dedicated to creating sustainable, moth‑friendly garden spaces that nurture the many moth species essential to healthy ecosystems. While moths are often overshadowed by their daytime counterparts, they play a vital role as nighttime pollinators,...

July 22, 2026

Gardening for Moths - Rend Lake Visitors Center
Gardening for Moths is an educational program dedicated to creating sustainable, moth‑friendly garden spaces that nurture the many moth species essential to healthy ecosystems. While moths are often overshadowed by their daytime counterparts, they play a vital role as nighttime pollinators,...

July 24, 2026

Magnificent Moths
Did you know that almost 2,000 of the 150,000 species of moths in the world call Illinois their home? Moths play an important role in the food web but are often ignored. Stop by the Cache River Wetlands Center for Magnificent Moths, a free family event celebrating National Moth Week! Come anytime...

July 25, 2026

Insect Night Lighting
The University of Illinois Extension invites the public to a fascinating Insect Night Lighting program in celebration of National Moth Week.  National Moth Week is an annual, global event that invites people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the mothing hobby by sharing photos of...

A brown moth laying on a tree trunk. The tree trunk has moss on it.

July 26, 2026

Mothscapes: Dry Terrarium Edition!
Explore the secret world of moths as you create your own low-maintenance dry (non-living) terrarium. Learn about camouflage, habitats, and the moth life cycle along the way! Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Kim Rohling and Program Coordinator Erica Lunde to see how moth natural history...

August 6, 2026

The Night Shift: Moths of Illinois
Explore the fascinating world of Illinois’ moths and the essential roles they play in our ecosystems. This program highlights moth diversity, their often-overlooked importance as pollinators, and the connections they have to native plants and wildlife. Participants will also learn about National...

August 6, 2026

Planting Herbs for Pollinators: Support Your Local Bees, Butterflies, and Beyond! - Christopher
Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kimberly Rohling, for a program designed to help you create a pollinator-friendly herb garden! In this session, you'll learn how to select, plant, and care for herbs that attract and support vital pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds....

August 22, 2026

Build a Bee Hotel
Kids are invited to explore the fascinating world of native bees and other insect pollinators during this fun, hands-on program. Participants will learn why pollinators matter and then get creative by building their own “bee hotel” using recycled and natural materials to take home and support local...

August 26, 2026

August 27, 2026

Branching Out: Native Plant Alternatives for the Home Landscape
Join the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Emily Swihart, for: Branching Out: A Botanical Workshop SeriesEach workshop focuses on a seasonal topic and includes an educational session followed by a hands‑on make‑and‑take activity. They will take place at the...

September 1, 2026

Reaping the Harvest: Collection, Processing, and Sowing of Native Seeds
Seeds are key for restoring our ecosystems and adding native plants to our yards. As diverse as our native plants are, they are equally diverse in how they disperse their seeds. We'll look at different approaches for seed collection, equipment, and techniques to clean that seed, and sowing to get...

Multiple Monarch butterflies are resting on a plant with white blossoms.

September 12, 2026

Monarch Migration Festival
Celebrate the magic of monarchs with us at the Monarch Migration Festival on September 12, 2026, from 10 AM–2 PM! This free, family‑friendly event brings the wonder of live monarch butterflies up close, along with hands‑on educational activities for kids of all...

September 23, 2026

October 28, 2026

Learn More About Pollinators