UMaine Extension offers pollinator-friendly gardening course and certification

As the weather warms and gardens come to life, Maine gardeners have the opportunity to support pollinators while enjoying their outdoor spaces. Simple steps, like planting native flowers that bloom all season, removing invasive species and preserving nesting habitats, can transform any garden into a pollinator haven. To guide and inspire these efforts University of Maine Cooperative Extension offers two resources to help gardeners support pollinators: the Pollinator-Friendly Gardening course and the Pollinator-Friendly Garden Certification.

The self-paced online course helps participants create gardens that provide food, water, shelter and protection for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The course fee is $30 with a sliding scale available. Participants who complete the course requirements will also receive a Pollinator-Friendly micro-badge, recognizing their mastery of key knowledge and skills. 

Residents in Maine and New Hampshire can also apply to have their gardens certified as pollinator-friendly. Certified gardens receive a certificate and may purchase a UMaine or University of New Hampshire Extension garden sign to promote pollinator conservation. The application fee is $25; garden signs are available for $35.

More information about the course and certification are available on the program website at https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/pollinator/. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Rebecca Gray at 207-356-1348 or extension.gardening@maine.edu.