Local Organizations Partner to Host Free Pollinator Week Events

June 16, 2022


Local organizations have partnered to host several free events in celebration of Pollinator Week from June 20 - 26, 2022, including the City of Dubuque, Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Digital Dubuque, Green Iowa AmeriCorps, local artist Ellen Henkels, Multicultural Family Center, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Sisters of St. Francis, and Sustainable Dubuque. 

Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership. Fifteen years ago the U.S. Senate designated a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marking a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown into an international celebration, promoting the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles. It's a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them.

The public is invited to participate in and attend the following free events:

Butterfly Encounter Tent
Friday, June 17, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Carnegie-Stout Public Library
Kick off Pollinator Week early with an experience in a butterfly encounter tent at the Carnegie-Stout Public Library. Step into the tent to observe the beauty, strength, and fragility of butterflies. Handheld butterfly feeders are also available for closer, touch-free encounters with butterflies. Small groups will be allowed into the tent every ½ hour. To register, call the Children’s Help Desk at 563-589-4225 ext. 2228.


Self-Guided Prairie Tour
Tuesday, June 21, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Mt. St. Francis Canticle of Creation Center
Enjoy a self-guided tour of the tallgrass prairie at Mt. St. Francis Canticle of Creation Center. Participants are directed to the back parking lot of Francis House, 3390 Windsor Ave. Program Assistant Mari Hammel will greet visitors upon arrival and direct them to the prairie path entrance. A prairie guide to help identify various prairie plants and a map of the prairie will be provided. 


Free Concert at Miller Riverview
Wednesday, June 22,  4 - 7 p.m.
Miller Riverview Park, 1851 Admiral Sheehy Dr.
The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and the Multicultural Family Center (MFC) are jointly hosting a free concert at Miller Riverview Park. The concert will feature artists from R&B and hip-hop genres with the intent to connect teens and residents of Dubuque with the river and public lands in a safe and culturally relevant way. Teens participating in the MFC Summer Teen Empowerment Program (STEP) will also be performing. Food vendors will be available and guests may also bring their own food and beverage. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to sit on. For questions regarding the concert, contact Jared McGovern at jmcgovern@rivermuseum.com or 563-557-9545.


Up Close: Exploring the Bee Branch Greenway through Macro Photography 
Thursday, June 23, 6:30 - 8 p.m.  
Bee Branch Creek Greenway
Ron and Jennifer Tigges of Digital Dubuque will host a free class exploring the Bee Branch Greenway and the importance of pollinators through macro photography. Staff from the EB Lyons Interpretive Center will be on site during the class to provide information and answer questions about pollinators and pollinator habitat. 

Kids and adults will learn alongside one another about macro photography and then practice snapping beautiful, up-close images of pollinators and their habitats. Whether you have a digital camera or rely on a camera app in your smartphone, you’ll walk away with new techniques to compose and capture stunning close-up photos.

This class is intended for ages 6 and up; ages 13 and under should be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own digital or smartphone camera. If you don’t have a camera, please note it in your registration form so one can be provided for you. Registration is not required, but highly encouraged. Walk-ups are welcome. The class will begin at the E. 24th St. Overlook. Register at www.cityofdubuque.org/pollinatorweek.


7th Annual Summer Sustainability Fair
Friday, June 24, 5 - 7 p.m. 
Bee Branch Creek Greenway, E. 22nd St. to E. 24th St.
Join Green Iowa AmeriCorps for its 7th annual Summer Sustainability Fair at the Upper Bee Branch Creek Greenway. Over 20 vendors will be showcasing how they promote sustainability in our community including the Dubuque Bike Coop, Dubuque County Energy District, Green Dubuque, Habitat for Humanity, HACAP, Mines of Spain, The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Project Rooted, Northeast Iowa Community College, Convivium, Casper Creek Natural Cemetery, Sustainable Dubuque, the City's Public Works Department, and more. Vendors will have games, crafts, and interactive displays with sustainable prizes. 

Food will be available for purchase from VERSUS and Birds food trucks and Brion Bowman will be performing live music. A large-scale pollinator-themed mural by local artists Shelby Fry, Miles Turner, and Chloe Peil will be on display as well as electric vehicles. Parking is available on-street and in the public lot at 22nd St. and Prince St.


Native Prairie Landscape Painting Class
Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Bee Branch Creek Greenway, E. 24th St. Overlook
With Bee Branch Creek Greenway pollinators and their habitats serving as inspiration, youth and adults will explore connections between pollinators and our food system while learning to draw and paint with watercolor pencils in this class lead by local artist, Ellen Henkels. All supplies will be provided. Take-home kits will be available so participants may continue practicing their new talents at home.

This class is intended for ages 4 and up; ages 13 and under should be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited to a max of 30 participants. Registration is not required, but highly encouraged. Walk-ups will be welcome if space is still available. Register at www.cityofdubuque.org/pollinatorweek.


Additional Pollinator Week activities include: 

StoryWalk at the Bee Branch Creek Greenway
To celebrate Pollinator Week, the StoryWalk at the Bee Branch Creek Greenway will feature the children's book "The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter" by Shabazz Larkin. The StoryWalk starts at the flagpoles by the bus stop on E. 22nd St. then continues across the E. 22nd St. bridge. It follows the trail up to E. 24th St. and circles back ending at the play area with slides. Parking is available in the public lot at E. 22nd St. and Prince St.


Featured book at the Carnegie Stout Public Library: "A Swarm in May"
Celebrate Pollinator Week by reading "A Swarm in May" by Mark Anthony Powers. In his debut novel, this author and beekeeper weaves medical mystery, beekeeping, and lessons on systemic racism into a compelling page-turner. Carnegie-Stout Public Library is offering "A Swarm in May" as a books-in-a-bag option for local book clubs. The e-book will also be available as a simultaneous checkout on Hoopla allowing multiple people to check it out at the same time. Hoopla is free and available to all library cardholders. For more information, contact the library at 563-589-4225 ext. 2227 or email interlib@dubuque.lib.ia.us.


Picture Perfect Pollinator Photo Contest
Monday, June 20 - Sunday, June 26, 2022
To enter, like Sustainable Dubuque on Instagram or Facebook then post an original photo of a pollinator up-close, pollinator-flower interaction, or pollinator landscapes using the hashtags #pictureperfectpollinator and #dbq.The winning photo in each category will be on display on the electronic monitors at the Bee Branch Creek Greenway throughout the summer.


Dubuque Pollinator BioBlitz
Monday, June 20 - Sunday, June 26, 2022
The Pollinator BioBlitz is a community effort to record as many pollinators as possible during Pollinator Week. If you can find a pollinator and take a picture of it, you can participate as a BioBlitz observer.

Download the iNaturalist app on your mobile device (Google Play, App Store), head outside, and snap as many photos of pollinators as possible including bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, bats, wasps, flies, and more! Then, upload your photos to the iNaturalist app and share your observations. Join the project on iNaturalist!


For more information, including a list of local and regional pollinator-related resources, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/pollinatorweek. 

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