Kicking off an Early Pollinator Season!
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) by iNaturalist user @rygan
March across Utah was unseasonably warm, and our plants and pollinators took note, kicking off an early pollinator season with fervor. Thank you to our pollinator pals who have been quick to snap photos of these early season pollinators, contributing over 1,000 observations in iNaturalist in the past few months!
Read on to learn how you can get even more involved in pollinator conservation with Utah Pollinator Pursuit and our partners.
2026 Volunteer Training Webinar
Join us at our 2026 Utah Pollinator Pursuit training webinar to kick off the field season! We'll review the program need, various ways to get involved in pollinator conservation, and tips and tricks to photograph and identify pollinating insects.
When: Tuesday, April 28th from 5:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Virtual, over Zoom
A recording of the webinar will be available on the project page afterwards for those unable to attend live. Volunteers must attend or watch the recording to participate in the project.
Free Pollinator Plants!
Native seedlings awarded through the Utah Pollinator Habitat Program in 2025. Photo by Sierra Hastings.
Applications for the Utah Pollinator Habitat Program are open through April 15th! Apply today for the chance to receive free, native pollinator-friendly seedlings. Check out this feature on PBS Utah's Modern Gardner to learn more about this incredible program.
Bumble Bee Conservation
Our partners in conservation at the Xerces Society are recruiting volunteers for the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas!
This community science project focuses on tracking and conserving native bumble bees across Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Volunteers can help conduct catch-photograph-release bumble bee surveys in Utah this summer.
Training is provided; no experience is necessary!
You can also get hands on experience with this project through an in-person training! Two workshops will be available in Southern Utah (May 20th in Kanab, Utah and May 21st in Escalante) where folks can learn about the project before conducting surveys.
Milkweed & Monarchs
Showy milkweed blooming along the shores of Utah Lake. Photo by Sierra Hastings.
We're excited to share that our pals at Friends of Monarchs will be distributing 3,000 FREE native milkweed seedlings in early May across Utah! Seedlings will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis with a limit of 6 milkweed plants per person.
Learn more and stay up to date by visiting the Friends of Monarchs website or following along on their Facebook page!
Monarch butterfly by Janice Gardner
p.s. Friends of Monarchs have officially kicked off their First Monarch Photo Contest!
Snap photos of monarchs across Utah's 29 counties this season and log your observations on iNaturalist or Journey North for the chance to win cash prizes!
Thank You
Thank you for the work you do to conserve Utah's precious pollinators!
Unable to join us in the field this year? Please consider supporting this and other conservation work through donating, sharing on social media or with family and friends, or volunteering your expertise in other capacities on the project.
Please don't hesitate to email us at mary@sagelandcollaborative.org with any questions.