Minneapolis Convention Center marks “Pollinator Week” with the completion of a pollinator garden

Minneapolis (June 23, 2016) – The Minneapolis Convention Center is marking “Pollinator Week” with the completion of a pollinator garden on the center’s grounds. The garden creates a landscape that’s inviting for bees, butterflies and others, helping preserve these essential pollinators. The garden is planted on the east side of the center, visible from the street or sidewalk along 3rd Avenue. Signage along the sidewalk will help educate the public about the garden and its benefits.

The pollinator garden includes two dozen types of shrubs, flowers and grasses, featuring plants native to the area. In addition to supporting pollinator species, the use of native plants in the garden has other environmental benefits. They require less irrigation, are lower maintenance, and are naturally pest tolerant or resistant.

The U.S. Senate has designated a week in June each year as “National Pollinator Week,” as a step toward raising awareness and addressing the serious issue of declining pollinator populations. In the nine years since Pollinator Week was created, it has grown into an international celebration. Pollinators are a necessary component of a healthy ecosystem and food system, providing pollination of plants needed to grow vegetables, herbs and fruits.

“The Minneapolis Convention Center is eco-focused in many ways, with our large rooftop solar array and a range of conservation efforts related to energy, waste and water usage,” said Jeff Johnson, executive director of the Minneapolis Convention Center. “This pollinator garden is one more step we can take to make our facility more friendly to the environment and help address the urgent issue of pollinator decline.”

The City of Minneapolis passed a resolution in 2015 committing the City to more pollinator-friendly practices and encouraging property owners to do the same. The resolution created the Conservation of Minneapolis Bees Project, which includes a website on how to create pollinator habitat and follow pollinator friendly practices. That means avoiding pesticides that poison bees and butterflies, whether by applying pesticides or planting flowering plants that had been treated before purchase. It also means landscaping or gardening with the kinds of plants that nourish them.

Alongside the new pollinator garden, the City of Minneapolis is transforming 3rd Avenue to create better facilities for biking and walking. The project will add a protected bike lane to the avenue, which is a major north/south street, in addition to enhancing the pedestrian experience with more greening. Construction is under way now and the majority of work will be complete this year.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit to the greater Minneapolis area.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of the Destination Marketing Association International.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Kristen Montag, Senior Communications and Public Relations Manager, 612.767.8038, kristenm@minneapolis.org