What is Naturally Rolesville?
Naturally Rolesville is an initiative that will help enhance, preserve, and create supportive environments for native pollinators throughout town by taking steps to make town-owned properties more pollinator-friendly. There will also be educational resources provided so residents can learn how to participate at home!
Why is Naturally Rolesville important?
North Carolina is home to about 700 pollinator species of insects and one pollinator species of bird. Without pollinators, 85% of our food and fiber crops and 75% of our flowering plants would not be able to reproduce and survive. Pollinators help produce everything from the cotton shirts you wear to the salads you enjoy at lunch to the flowers you smell on your evening walk! By taking steps to support pollinators, we can beautify spaces while promoting biodiversity.
How is the Town implementing the principles of Naturally Rolesville?
- Rolesville has been designated as a Tree City USA for seven years.
- Mayor Currin signed the Mayor's Monarch Pledge in April 2022.
- Invasive plant removal efforts began at Main Street Park in the summer of 2022.
- A pollinator garden was installed at Town Hall on Earth Day 2023. Please click here to learn more about this event!
- Invasive Plant Removals have been added to our regular volunteer opportunities calendar.
In 2023 and beyond, we will continue our existing efforts & programs, install more pollinator gardens on town properties, and find other ways to incorporate pollinator-friendly practices into our standard routines and plans.
How can I help support the efforts of Naturally Rolesville?
There are several easy ways you can support our goal of making Rolesville more pollinator-friendly! You can:
- Use native plants in landscaping and add a pollinator garden to your property.
- Create habitats and nesting sites for pollinators in your yard and certify your wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation.
- Remove invasive plants both at home and in our parks through our volunteer opportunities.
- Properly time mowing, pruning, and other lawn maintenance tasks to minimize your interference with native pollinator habits - No Mow May
- Minimize the use of pesticides and incorporate integrated pest management methods instead.
- Become involved with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation
- Get the whole family involved. Kids can learn about the importance of pollinators too!
- Find coloring pages, games, videos, and more at the NC Forest Service’s Kids Corner.
- Check out the Busy World of Bees from NC State Cooperative Extension.
- Celebrate National Pollinator Week with an activity near you.
