Pitt celebrates Pollinator Month with events and workshops to support native pollinators and promote sustainability on campus, and beyond.
Pollinators are essential to our ecosystem and survival, from pollinating crops so we can eat to supporting wildlife food chains across the globe. As a certified Bee Campus, the University of Pittsburgh recognizes their importance globally and locally throughout the month of June from hosting informative lunch-and-learns, to crafting your own butterfly puddler, to giving away pollinator plants so you can make a pollinator habitat at home. All month long, we’ll be celebrating the pollinators that make our world go round!
More Than Just Bees
Bees are superstars and probably were the first thing you thought of when thinking about pollinators, but there are many other insects, reptiles, and mammals that contribute to pollination year-round. Learn about our native pollinators by attending one of the many events on campus celebrating Pollinator Month.
Fritillary Butterfly
Soldier Beetle
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
2025 Pollinator Month Events
Pollinator Plant Giveaway | Wednesday, June 4 @ 11:30 am – 1:30 pm | Scaife Hall
Celebrate Pollinator Month with a free native plant giveaway. Pick one up to support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and get expert tips on creating a pollinator-friendly garden at home.
Tree Tender Training | Thursday, June 5 & Friday, June 6 @ 1 – 4 pm | 837 William Pitt Union
Learn how to care for trees in Oakland and beyond with Tree Pittsburgh’s free Tree Tender certification course, open to all Pitt students and employees. This two-part training covers urban tree care basics and prepares you to help grow and protect your local urban forest.
Pollinators in the Light Tour | Wednesday, June 11 @ 12 pm | Heinz Memorial Chapel
Celebrate National Pollinator Month with a special Heinz Chapel tour in partnership with Pitt Sustainability. Explore the role of pollinators in nature and in gothic art, from the Chapel’s English garden to its stained-glass windows and pipe organ.
Learn how Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus supports sustainability as a designated Tree Campus and Bee Campus. This class explores green spaces, pollinator protection, stormwater solutions, and how nature supports our wellbeing.
Plantable Paper Workshop | Tuesday, June 17 @ 4 – 5:30 pm | 310 Hillman
Learn to make handmade paper embedded with native wildflower seeds, combining creativity with support for pollinators. This hands-on workshop explores sustainability, craft, and habitat restoration through the art of papermaking. No experience needed.
Did you know Pitt has seven pollinator gardens across campus? Join the Pitt Pollinator Habitat Committee for a guided tour of these gardens, bioswales, and more, and learn how sustainable landscaping supports pollinators, biodiversity, and cleaner air and water.
Pollinators in the Light Tour | Wednesday, June 25 @ 12 pm & 5 pm | Heinz Memorial Chapel
Celebrate National Pollinator Month with a special Heinz Chapel tour in partnership with Pitt Sustainability. Explore the role of pollinators in nature and in gothic art, from the Chapel’s English garden to its stained-glass windows and pipe organ.
Dark Sky Film & Panel Discussion | Friday, June 27 @ 4 – 6 pm | Frick Fine Arts Theater
Join us for a screening of Defending the Dark: Preserving the Night Sky, followed by a panel discussion with local experts on why dark skies matter for human and environmental health. A planet-friendly meal will be served after the discussion. Please RSVP to help us reduce food waste.
Planting flowers is one way to help pollinators, but what if you want to do more? In this virtual lunch and learn webinar, we will cover tips and tricks you can use during the entire calendar year in your garden. In addition, we will learn more about the various types of pollinators and how they see our gardens.
Make an Air Bee’n’bee – All Month Long
Build Your Own Backyard Bee Hotel at the Open Lab
Make a cozy nesting spot for bees any day during June in the Open Lab to celebrate Pollinator Month! Follow the link to download instructions, then come to the Open Lab during regular business hours to make your own bee hotel.
Pitt’s Pollinator Efforts
Pitt Bee Campus
As of June 2020, the University of Pittsburgh is a certified Bee Campus USA! Check out the 7 pollinator gardens around Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus.
Pollinator Habitat Advisory Committee
Pitt has created a diverse and interdisciplinary committee to help make our campus environment more supportive of healthy, native pollinator populations.
Landscape and Ecology
As part of our Landscape and Ecology goals, we are not only working to protect existing pollinators, but to create spaces on campus where pollinator communities can grow and thrive.
Bee Houses
In 2019, Pitt students designed and built 7 bee houses on campus for native solitary bees, getting guidance from pollinator research conducted by Pitt Biology professor Dr. Tia-Lynn Ashman.
Pollinator Gardens
Home to 7 pollinator gardens, Pitt’s green spaces exemplify how sustainable initiatives can help improve our environment’s health and reduce resources used for maintenance.
For more information about pollinators at Pitt, be sure to check out all of our landscape and ecology efforts, from green roofs to edible gardens!