Celebrating Pollinators on World Bee Day – and All Year Round!
May 20 is World Bee Day, and Chillicothe Public Library is buzzing with activity! The library’s honeybees are lively after the winter cold, and you can see them coming and going from their hive on the patio.
Luke Harvey (Riverview Road Apiary) is the beekeeper who tends the library bees, and on Wednesday, May 20 at 6pm, he will present “A Year in the Life of a Beehive.” Anyone interested in honey bees can explore the amazing annual rhythms of a honey bee colony.
Harvey returns for National Pollinator Week with “Beyond Honeybees: Pollinators of Central IL” on Thursday, June 24 at 6pm. Though honeybees are often top of mind when we think of pollinators, here we will discuss the many native pollinators in our region (hundreds of species of bees, flies, wasps, birds, butterflies, moths, and more!), why they’re important, and how we can help them thrive.
At the library, we make efforts to support the health of our local pollinator populations. Our native prairie plantings and garden beds provide food and shelter for caterpillars, insects, and other wildlife, besides being beautiful and interesting to humans. For example, milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars eat, and milkweed flowers provide nectar to nourish dozens of other species. The richer the variety of plants in an area, the more kinds of critters we can enjoy, too.
In addition to these areas, you may notice that our lawns contain not only grass, but also clover and other flowers and plants that promote biodiversity. We do not use chemicals like pesticides and herbicides that can be harmful to pollinators and other creatures and can contaminate our water. It might not look like a golf course—but you’re sure to find a lot more life!
Pollinators transfer pollen between plants, which enables them to set seeds and reproduce. In many cases, this allows humans to eat! The 2026 Summer Reading Program celebrates this cycle with the theme, “Plant a Seed, Read!” All ages can earn fun prizes and nurture the seeds of curiosity by reading a little bit each day, June 7 – July 18. We’ll kick things off with a big Summer Celebration on Saturday, June 6.
More information on Chillicothe Public Library programs and services can be found at www.chillipld.org, or by calling 309-274-2719.