Organic Site Preparation for Wildflower Establishment
Site preparation is one of the most important and often inadequately addressed components for successfully installing pollinator habitat. These guidelines provide step-by-step instructions, helpful suggestions, and regional timelines & checklists for preparing both small and large sites.
Habitat Installation Guide: Upper Midwest
Specific to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, this Xerces Society conservation guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of wildflower meadows or prairie, complete with recommended native plant lists, example seed mixes, and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.
Habitat Installation Guide: Pennsylvania Conservation Cover (327)
Specific to Pennsylvania, this Xerces and USDA-NRCS guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of conservation cover according to NRCS Conservation Practice 327, complete with recommended native plant lists, example seed mixes, and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.
Habitat Installation Guide: Pennsylvania Hedgerow Planting (422)
Specific to Pennsylvania, this Xerces and USDA-NRCS guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of hedgerows according to NRCS Conservation Practice 422, complete with recommended native plant lists and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.
Habitat Installation Guide: Michigan CRP-SAFE CP-38E, Pollinator Habitat Planting
This Michigan USDA-NRCS document outlines the technical specifications required to establish pollinator habitat through the Conservation Reserve State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (CRP-SAFE) Program. Included in the document is information about site preparation, planting, and long-term land management recommendations.
Native Vegetation Establishment and Enhancement Guidelines
Created by the Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources, this guide is a comprehensive guidebook designed to assist resource professionals and landowners across Minnesota in meeting state vegetation policies and standards, and to guide the successful planting and management of restoration and other conservation projects. The guidelines are also designed to develop consistency among state programs; avoid the use or introduction of invasive species; and ensure that plantings function at a high level and meet project goals. The guidelines are updated periodically as new research and field experience become available.
Pollinator Best Management Practices and Habitat Restoration Guidelines
Developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, this guide provides best management practices for restoring and enhancing habitat for native insect pollinators on public lands.
Prairie Restoration Technical Guide Series
This 10-part series provides important guidance on all stages of the restoration process, from seed collection to designing seed mixes to evaluating stand establishment,
Native Vegetation Establishment Enhancement Guides
Includes detailed information on sourcing plant materials, site prep, planting, and maintenance for a variety of restoration projects.
Pollinator Habitat Planting
This Michigan USDA-NRCS document outlines the technical specifications required to establish pollinator habitat through the Conservation Reserve State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (CRP-SAFE) Program. Included in the document is information about site preparation, planting, and long-term land management recommendations.
Pollinator Habitat and Biology
An in-depth guide to native bee ecology and conservation for natural areas and farms in Illinois. An extensive and detailed list of plant species is included on pages 20-27. Also included are color photos of common regional bees and sample seeding mixes for habitat restoration efforts.
Establishing Pollinator Meadows from Seed
Establishing wildflower habitat for pollinators is the single most effective course of action to conserve pollinators that can be taken by anyone at any scale. These guidelines provide step-by-step instructions for establishing pollinator meadows from seed in areas that range in size from a small backyard garden up to areas around an acre.
Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects
This 16-page bulletin will help you use cover crops to encourage populations of pollinators and beneficial insects on your farm while you address your other resource concerns. It begins with a broad overview of pollinator and beneficial insect ecology, then describes cover crop selection and management, how to make cover crops work on your farm, and helpful and proven crop rotations. It will also touch on the limitations of cover crops and pesticide harm reduction, among other topics.
Pollinator-Friendly Cover Cropping
Cover crops have many traditional uses on farms, ranging from preventing erosion and improving soil health to suppressing weeds and breaking pest cycles. This bulletin will help farmers and managers use cover crops to attract and support pollinators and other beneficial insects on vegetable farms in the Upper Midwest, while also addressing other resource concerns.
Estimated Costs to Establish Pollinator Hedgerows
This fact sheet outlines the estimated costs of establishing hedgerow habitat for pollinators. Pollinator hedgerows are diverse linear plantings of native flowering trees, shrubs, perennial wildflowers and grasses designed to provide foraging and nesting habitat for pollinators. These estimates represent average costs of establishing hedgerows from transplants, and are derived from a series of pollinator hedgerow habitat projects throughout the United States. Actual costs vary from project to project and region to region.