The Halifax Regional Municipality is proud to celebrate Pollinator Week from June 22-28, 2026. Pollinator Week offers residents an opportunity to learn more about pollinators and their important role in supporting biodiversity.
Earlier this year, the municipality was awarded Bee City status, designated by Bee City Canada. Receiving this status means that the municipality has made a commitment to protecting and promoting pollinators through establishing and maintaining pollinator habitats, supporting community education and celebrating Pollinator Week.
- Monday, June 22 | Pollinator Week Kickoff: Family Fun Event
Location: Halifax Public Gardens
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Registration: No registration is required for this event.Event details: A family-friendly gathering to celebrate pollinators and the many benefits they bring to our ecosystems in the beautiful Halifax Public Gardens.
Hear from Heather McKinnon of the Museum of Natural History and Emily McLean, a Master of Environmental Studies student at Dalhousie University. They will share fun and fascinating facts about bees and other pollinators, and why these tiny creatures are so important to our world.
Following the presentation, families are invited to explore interactive booths and hands-on activities from organizations such as the Discovery Centre and the Museum of Natural History.
- Wednesday, June 24 | Defending trees, defending bees: The balancing act of managing one crisis without creating another
Location: Halifax Central Library, BMO Community Room
Time: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Registration: No registration is required for this event.Event details: As part of Pollinator Week, three early career scientists, Emily McLean (Master of Environmental Studies Candidate, Dalhousie University), Jane Vurdela (Master of Science Candidate, Acadia University), and Matt Nettle (Ecological Restoration Practitioner) will explore the intersection between pollinator conservation and invasive species management. In an era of unprecedented change, largely driven by a changing climate, plant and pest invasions are becoming increasingly frequent and impactful. This panel discussion will focus on:
- The importance of native biodiversity in protecting pollinators;
- the impacts of invasive species management techniques on pollinator populations (with a special focus on medicinal/chemical control of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA); and
- present opportunities for individuals to do their part in pollinator and biodiversity protection.
- Friday, June 26 | Building for butterflies: How-to pollinator garden bed construction
Location: Flinn Park (6990 Armview Ave. Halifax)
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Registration: Please register by emailing naturalization@halifax.ca. Space is limited, and handled on a first-come, first-served basis.Event details: Learn how to transform a conventional garden bed into a pollinator habitat. Activities will include preparing the bed, planting native species like swamp milkweed and embedding habitat features like woody debris. Bring weather appropriate clothing, closed-toe footwear, plenty of water, sunscreen and anything else you need to stay comfortable throughout the morning. This event is hosted in collaboration with Dalhousie University.
- Saturday, June 27 | Along the water’s edge: Plants, people and shoreline health
Location: Kinsmen First Lake Beach (71 First Lake Dr. Lower Sackville)
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Registration: Click this link to register Please note:
- Registration will close on June 20, one week prior to the event. Following registration, please await a booking confirmation to confirm your attendance.
- Indigenous community members and residents living in the neighbourhood surrounding First Lake will be prioritized. Final participation confirmations will be circulated by June 22.
Event details: A restoration project is planned for the beach at First Lake in fall of 2026 through the Living Lakeshores Project. This plant medicine walk will be hosted by Tuma Young. This event offers an opportunity to learn more about Mi'kmaq ethnobotany and will inform more culturally sensitive approaches to shoreline restoration projects in Halifax. Registration for this event is required. Those identifying as Indigenous will be prioritized.
About Tuma Young: Tuma Young, KC, is an L’nu (Mi’kmaq) from Malagawatch reserve and his band is Eskasoni First Nation. Tuma was born into the Attu’wej (Squirrel) clan for the Aplikjumuj (Rabbit) clan. Tuma is the spouse of Nicolaas Honig and resides in Sydney River where he teaches Mi’kmaq Studies at Cape Breton University and has a private legal practice.
Tuma grew up on his mother’s trapline at Malagawatch and where he learned about L’nuwin Pisun and later took undergraduate studies in Ethnobotany (the study of plants used by Indigenous peoples). Tuma’s current research is on the plants used by the L’nu (Mik’kmaq) and has done extensive research on Maskwomin, an oil extracted from Maskwi (the white birch bark tree) which the L’nu use for treating skin conditions.
Tuma loves to lead L’nuwin Pisun medicine walks where he shows folks which plants are used by L’nu people and illustrates the importance of biodiversity in Mi’kma’ki.
- Saturday, June 27 | Pollinator Bioblitz for Neighbour Week
Location: Starting at Keshen Goodman Public Library (330 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, NS)
When: 1 to 4 p.m.
Registration: Registration is limited. Please register at the link below:
Register for Pollinator BioblitzEvent details: Join your neighbours in contributing to community science and local biodiversity during a Pollinator Bioblitz at Keshen Goodman Library. In celebration of both Neighbour Week and Pollinator Week, this event highlights the importance of biodiversity and the impact we can make when we come together to support our environment and communities.
During the Pollinator Bioblitz, we will identify and record local species using a mobile phone app called iNaturalist. No prior experience with iNaturalist is required; beginners are welcome just come prepared to go on a walk on nearby walking trails! The event will begin with a brief iNaturalist walkthrough at the library, followed by an outdoor session where participants will observe and record local pollinator-friendly plants and pollinators. Your observations will be recorded in a municipality-wide project for Neighbour Week.
Hosted by the municipality’s Environment & Climate Change team and local pollinator expert Emily McLean.
- Sunday, June 28 | Interactive Bee Walk
Location: Fort Needham Memorial Park, meeting at the washrooms (5515 Stairs Pl. Halifax)
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Registration required: Please register by emailing naturalization@halifax.ca. Space is limited, and handled on a first-come, first-served basis
Event details: The bee walk will begin with an introduction to bees and pollinators, followed by a demonstration of collecting a bee and immobilizing/releasing it. Once the demonstration and questions are answered, participants will head out for a walk to look for bees and gently capture bees using nets for closer observation. Collected bees will be briefly placed in a cooled box in a vial to slow down their movement, allowing them to be handled without causing harm. After identification, bees are released once they have recovered from cooling.