We’ve been working with schools for years to help install mason bee houses and support pollinators on campus.
Recently, we partnered with the Ridgefield High School environmental science classes to install a new bee house at RHS. It’s great to see students getting hands-on with real habitat work and learning how to support native bees.
Check it out!
Celebrate Earth Day with us at the Water Center BioBlitz! 🌎🐝🌼
Help document plants, insects, birds, and more while exploring wetlands and forest habitats at the Water Resources Education Center. This fun, family-friendly event includes guided walks—and we’ll be leading a Bee Walk!
📅 Saturday, April 25
🕙 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver
Sign up or drop in and explore with us!
🔗 https://www.cityofvancouver.us/events/water-center-bioblitz-2/
Mason bees are emerging! 🌼
But what are they foraging on right now?
Thanks to the Washington Bee Atlas—now in year 4 of data collection—we’re learning that mason bees are generalist pollinators, visiting a wide range of early spring blooms. This includes plants in the Ranunculales family (buttercups), the rose family (like fruit trees), and many more.
Dive into the data here:
🔗 https://imerss.github.io/imerss-bioinfo/indexBeasWaBA.html
We recently had the chance to visit the Port of Vancouver’s water treatment pond—and it’s planted with native pollinator habitat! 🌼
Check out this beautiful Oregon sunshine lighting up the pond slopes. These native plantings provide critical forage for bees and other pollinators while supporting smart, functional landscapes.
Huge thanks to the Port for investing in native plants and pollinator habitat! #PaisajismoSostenible #BeeCityUSA
Tomorrow’s the day! Join us for Spring Mason Bees & Other Pollinators 🌼
This is a FREE event—come learn about native bees, how to support them at home, and connect with others who care about pollinators.
📍 Downtown Hilton Vancouver – 2nd Floor, Cedar Room
🎁 BONUS: Be there for your chance to win a FREE mason bee house + bees ready to go!
Don’t miss it—we’ll see you there!
🔗 https://vancouverbeeproject.org/events/spring-mason-bees-other-pollinators
From our friends at Clark Conservation District: Looking to learn more about local water resources and how to protect them? Clark Conservation District's Watershed Stewardship Program is a six-week educational opportunity designed for anyone interested in conservation, local wildlife, and making a positive impact in their community.
Become a Watershed Steward this spring with Stormwater Partners of SW Washington and Clark CD! Learn more and sign up here: clarkcd.org/watershed-stewardship
🌸 Join Us at the Bloom Where You’re Planted Multicultural Fair! 🌸
We’re excited to be part of this vibrant community event on Saturday, May 9 from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Fourth Plain Community Commons (3101 E Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA)!
Brought to you by Fourth Plain Five, with support from Fourth Plain Forward and the City of Vancouver.
🐝 Big news for Washington’s bees!
The Washington Bee Atlas has identified 17 new bee species records for the state and rediscovered 12 species that hadn’t been seen in Washington for up to 144 years. This is an incredible reminder of just how much biodiversity is still out there—and how important it is to keep documenting and protecting it.
Check out the full article:
👉 https://agr.wa.gov/about-wsda/news-and-media-relations/news-releases?article=46510
🐝 It’s Mason Bee Time!
With the blooms we’re seeing and the temperatures in the 10-day forecast, it’s now safe to put out your mason bee cocoons in our area.
Before you release them, make sure there are flowers blooming nearby and that your bee house is within about 500 feet of those blooms so the bees have food right away.
If you’re not seeing many blooms in your neighborhood yet, it’s perfectly fine to wait a week or two.
