Learn & Connect

Every season offers plenty to explore and ways to get involved

  • Bee The Buzz - support your neighbors in building nodes along Hasting's pathway.

  • Become a Power Pollinator - raise awareness, connect with others and lobby for better legislation for our pollinators.

  • Adopt a Public Space - spend time outdoors with family or colleagues while learning about and caring for nature by signing up with Adopt-a-Spot.

For Teachers and Group Leaders

Pollinator Partnership's learning center has a series of educational brochures to help groups learn about pollinators. The Bee Smart School Garden Kit is specifically designed for use by teachers in the classroom setting.

See also Xerces Society's Education Resources for learning videos, scouting exercises, monarch curricula, and crafts.

Get to Know Your Pollinators

All kinds of insects - and some animals - pollinate plants. Here's a list from USFS: ants, bees, wasps, bats, beetles, birds, flies, butterflies, moths, and sloths. Read more here:

Pollinator fact sheet - US Forest Service

Bumblebee Watch

US Fish & Wildlife Endangered Bee Identification Guide

Bumblebees of the Eastern United States

USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Series on Bees and Native Pollinators

Xerces Society: Where Do Pollinators Go In Winter?

PBS American Spring Live: That's Not a Bee! Unusual Pollinators

Working the Night Shift - Bats Play an Important Role in Pollinating Crops - (tho mostly not in NYS, where they help keep insects in balance)

More on bats from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History


Below: Tiny Vampires

Watch a recording of Hastings' own Melissa Reavis' Zoom talk, Tiny Vampires: Understanding Mosquitoes and Ticks in our Landscape.

Melissa covers the species of mosquitoes and ticks we encounter in Westchester: their roles in our ecosystem; what attracts them to people; and how best to protect yourself and your family. She discusses standard pesticide practices and alternatives. A treasure trove of information! Melissa was hosted by Chet Kerr's Living Classroom project, part of the Rivertowns Pollinator Pathway. For more of Chet's recordings, click here.