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!
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.
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