Supporting pollinators as a Bee City

The City of Waterloo is recognized as a Bee City for our work to protect native pollinators and their habitat.


What we do as a Bee City

Each year, Waterloo commits to the Bee City Canada program by:

  • stewardship: creating, improving and maintaining pollinator habitat in city parks
  • education: creating awareness about native pollinators and habitat at community events, and developing educational materials like our Bee City e-newsletter 

Visit Bee City Canada to learn more about the program and take the Canada-wide Pollinator Protection Pledge!


Help support native pollinators

The Pollinator Working Group provides educational activities and stewardship projects that support pollinators and habitat in Waterloo:

Join a stewardship activity

From spring to fall, help create pollinator habitat with our Bechtel Park wildflower meadow project:

  • first Thursday of the month from 4 to 6 p.m.
  • occasional Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

You can also join a community planting event in city park natural areas each fall.

Volunteer with the group

Recruitment for the Pollinator Working Group takes place each January, if positions are available. View current volunteer openings.

Pollinator Working Group

Our goal

The role of the City of Waterloo’s Pollinator Working Group is to support Bee City Canada program initiatives in Waterloo, committing annually to the following:

  • stewardship: create, improve and maintain pollinator habitat in city parks
  • education: create awareness about native pollinators and habitat by developing educational materials and hosting or participating in community events in Waterloo Region 

Meetings and community involvement

The City of Waterloo's Pollinator Working Group consists of up to 12 adult volunteers and a city staff liaison from Parks, Forestry and Cemetery Services.

Our monthly meetings take place on the second Thursday evening of the month. These meetings are not open to public participation as they involve planning our involvement in local events and preparing materials.

Working group volunteers assist with planning and implementing a minimum of 1 event and 1 stewardship activity per month:

  • community events typically take place outdoors and on weekends
  • park stewardship activities take place on the first Thursday of the month and occasional Saturday mornings, and other times as needed

Appointment

  • when a position vacancy exists, a volunteer recruitment notice will be published on the city's volunteering page and other sources typically during the month of January or February
  • to be eligible for consideration, interested applicants must:

Pollinator Working Group volunteer qualifications

  • must be 18 years of age or older
  • preference will be given to those living, working or studying in the Kitchener-Waterloo area
  • experience with native plants and pollinators, educating the public, and event planning
  • good written and verbal communication skills, and good organizational skills
  • willing to work cooperatively with other volunteers and city staff
  • available for monthly meetings and to assist with a minimum of 1 community event and 1 stewardship activity on weekends or weekday evenings each month
  • able to undertake moderate physical exertion such carrying display materials, and planting vegetation in natural areas; most events take place outdoors in a city park
  • volunteers may not function on the working group as a representative of a particular agency, organization or interest group 
  • position is a minimum one-year term based on your enthusiasm, attendance and productivity on the working group

Complete details about the volunteer role, meetings and community involvement can be found in the Pollinator Working Group Terms of Reference (PDF).


Contact us

Email stewardship@waterloo.ca with any questions.