Secret Pollinators
A native bee podcast about bumblebees, wild bees, and the pollinators most people have never heard of.
Native pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat — yet most of them are disappearing because nobody knows they exist. The Secret Pollinators is the native bee podcast that changes that, one tiny hero at a time.
Each episode reveals the secret world of native bees, bumblebees, wild bees, butterflies, beetles, and the other lesser-known pollinators doing the real heavy lifting in American gardens, farms, and wild landscapes. Spoiler alert: that tomato on your plate was probably pollinated by a native bee, not a honeybee. The blueberry on your morning oatmeal? Almost certainly a bumblebee.
Host Kelly — a Certified Pollinator Steward based in Montana — is on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of native pollinators through short, mind-blowing episodes about the 4,000+ species of native bees you've never heard of. Mason bees that build with mud. Leafcutter bees that scissor flower petals. Ground-nesting bees that live underground by the millions. Bumblebees are so specialized that they only forage from a single wildflower. Plus the butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators working overtime in your backyard.
Every episode is packed with bee science, surprising natural history, and simple actions you can take to support these essential creatures — whether you live in a big-city apartment or on a sprawling farm.
Warning: you might become slightly obsessed with spotting bumblebees everywhere you go. Kelly definitely is. When that happens, join the Secret Pollinators Facebook community to share your discoveries and connect with fellow native bee advocates.
For more native pollinator info, visit the Pollinator Partnership: www.pollinator.org
4,000 Native Wild Bee Species in America? Yes, It's True
Happy Pollinator Week! Tell someone you love native wild bees and they'll start talking about honey every time. But the honey bee is a European import — it's not even one of the four thousand native w...
Bonus: I Got My Governor to Declare Pollinator Week — Here's How You Can Too
A quick bonus update: how a five-minute email led to an official Montana Pollinator Week proclamation — and how you can get the same thing done in your own state before Pollinator Week wraps up. www.s...
How One Woman's Idea Turned 400 American Cities into Native Bee Habitat
It started with one woman's frustration and a unanimous city council vote in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2012. Fourteen years later, more than 400 American towns and college campuses have made forma...
Wild Bees Cut Their Flight Paths by 80% - Here's How They Do It
A bumblebee leaves her nest with no map, no GPS, and no instructions. By the end of the week, she'll have figured out the most efficient route between every flower patch in her territory — reducing he...