Improving Pollinator Habitat in Prairies, Roadsides & Open Spaces

​​​​​Bike path lined with flowers​​Providing a high diversity of plant species that offer flowers throughout the growing season is the most important action that can be taken to promote healthy pollinator communities. Pollinator habitat can be provided in small patches of land, large continuous fields, or linear strips, as in the case of roadsides and other right-of-ways. Collectively, these efforts can improve pollinator health, diversity and abundance. Open prairies and savannas provide plentiful nesting and forage opportunities for pollinators throughout the year. Because a tiny fraction of these habitats remain in the Midwest as small fragments of disjointed land, each opportunity for restoring or improving pollinator habitat is crucial.

Providing pollinator habitat is a goal that complements other management goals including erosion control, native plant propagation, and wildlife habitat. Included is a section devoted to the special considerations for roadsides, but most of the BMPs outlined below apply to a wide array of habitat improvement projects on public, private and tribal land.


 

View the entire Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Plan

Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Plan Development Process