Bee City USA – Snowshoe Mountain

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Pollinating is all the buzz at Snowshoe Mountain these days. And to celebrate our Bee City USA designation we’re throwing a hint of Pollinatin’ into our annual Pickin’ & Pedalin’ event, happening August 18-20, 2023. Join us for hayrides to the Pollinator garden, pollinator inspired crafts, honey vendors, and to learn more about why we’re so passionate about pollinators and what we’re doing to conserve them.

What does it mean to be a Bee City USA and how did Snowshoe become one ?

In 2022, with a grant provided by the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Snowshoe tilled a 4.5 acre Pollinator Garden at the Airport which led to an approved status of Bee City USA. Being a Bee City provides opportunities for communities to come together to learn about and conserve native pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats, planting much needed native pollinator plants, and protecting them from pesticides. Our initial focus was on our native Rusty Patch Bumblebee, which has declined to 10% of it’s population and is the first bumblebee to be put on the endangered species list. In 2023, we planted around 3.5 acres of milkweed plants near our original garden for the Monarch Watch project. We also introduced two new pollinator gardens, one at each entrance area of Snowshoe, with a grant from the Snowshoe Resort Community District.

If you haven’t been to our initial Pollinator Garden, put on a pair of hiking shoes and make your way up Airport Road! The hike is a steady mild incline that takes you approximately ¾ of a mile. You will be privileged to the most beautiful views at Snowshoe Mountain on the way up, and once you arrive at the garden on a beautiful sunny day, you will understand what all the buzz is about!

The calm hum of happy bees can be heard as you watch butterflies happily dance through the flowers. A stroll through the garden brings a feeling of peace and happiness, best enjoyed with friends both two and four-legged! Pack a lunch and enjoy a beautiful place to picnic. Please respect the beauty of the garden and pack out what you take in. Have fun and enjoy!

Learn More About Snowshoe’s Pollinator Garden

Learn More About Bee City USA

Where is Snowshoe’s Pollinator Garden Located?

The Pollinator Garden is located on the backside of the Silver Creek ski slopes in a place most commonly referred to as “The Airport”. You can get there numerous ways using the backcountry trail system.

View Backcountry Trail Map

What Pollinating Activities Will Take Place During Pickin’ & Pedalin’?

Pollinating activities that will be available for all ages on Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th include Hayrides to the Pollinator Garden, a Kids Pollinator Parade, and story time with Melissa Davey author of “Rusty Bumble: A Bee’s Story”. Crafts and Vendors include a butterfly mask craft with Nature’s Mountain Playground; wildflower seed bombs with The Nature Conservancy; bee & flower ornaments with Sustainability Action Committee, and local honey products and education with Greenbrier Bee Farm.

What Plants are Native to West Virginia?

Discover the natural beauty of West Virginia through its diverse and captivating native plants, where every stem unfurls a tale of the state’s rich botanical heritage. You never know when it will be a trivia question!

Oswego Tea/ Bee Balm

Scientific Name: Monarda Didyma

Wild Bergamot

Scientific Name: Monarda Fistulosa

Blazing Star

Scientific Name: Liatris Spicata

Cardinal Flower

Scientific Name: Lobelia Cardinalis

Butterfly Weed

Scientific Name: Asclepias Tuberosa

Common Milkweed

Scientific Name: Asclepias Syriaca

New England Aster

Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum Novae/Angliae

Smooth Aster

Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum Laeve

Wild Blue Indigo

Scientific Name: Baptisia Australis

Virginia Bluebells

Scientific Name: Mertensia Virginica

Wild Geranium

Scientific Name: Geranium Maculatum

Wild Columbine

Scientific Name: Aquilegia Canadensis

Joe Pye Weed

Scientific Name: Eupatorium Purpureum

Jerusalem Artichoke

Scientific Name: Helianthus Tuberosus

Spiderwort

Scientific Name: Tradenscantia Virginiana

Culver’s Root

Scientific Name: Veronicastrum Virginicum

Wild Senna

Scientific Name: Senna Marilandica

Great Blue Lobelia

Scientific Name: Lobelia Siphilitica

Mist Flower

Scientific Name: Conoclinium Coelestinium

Ironweed

Scientific Name: Vernonia Altissima

Sweet Goldenrod

Scientific Name: Solidago Odora

Tall Bellflower

Scientific Name: Campanulastrum Americanum

Goatsbeard

Scientific Name: Aruncus Dioicus

Brown Eyed Susan

Scientific Name: Rudbeckia Triloba

Swamp Milkweed

Scientific Name: Asclepius Incarnata

Smooth Beardtongue

Scientific Name: Penstemon Laevigatus

Cup Plant

Scientific Name: Silphium Connatum