The family yard is still the safe outdoor space to relax, play and de-stress. The TurfMutt Foundation reminds families that nature starts right outside your back door – and one way to help nature is to make sure your yard supports our very-important pollinators.

June is National Pollinators Month and June 21-27 is designated as “National Pollinator Week.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S Department of the Interior, Pollinator Week is a great opportunity to encourage people to do more in their backyards to support pollinators.

• Choose flowering plants for pollinators – butterflies, bees, bats and hummingbirds
  •    Backyards, school yards, green roofs, parks, planted medians and other green spaces provide food and shelter for pollinators
  •    Select flowering plants that thrive in your yard’s conditions, considering the following: climate zone, soil type, sun/shade ratio, and average rainfall
  •    Plant a healthy balance of grasses, garden flowers, shrubs, and trees
  •    75 percent of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce
  •    About 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat exists because of pollinators
  •    More than 3,500 species of native bees help increase crop yields

For more information, go to www.turfmutt.com