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Louisville Open Space & Parks Update

June 22, 2026

Pollinator Week is Here!

June 22-28, 2026

Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, beetles, and other pollinators that help our landscapes thrive.

As a proud Bee City USA community, Louisville is committed to creating habitat that supports pollinators year-round. Through native plantings, pocket prairies, pollinator-friendly landscapes, and thoughtful land management practices, the city provides food, shelter, and nesting habitat for a wide variety of beneficial species.

Pollinators help more than 75% of the world's flowering plants reproduce, including many found in Louisville's parks, open spaces, gardens, and neighborhoods. This week is a reminder that healthy habitats support not only pollinators, but also wildlife, native plants, and the natural beauty that makes Louisville special.

Did You Know?

Most bee species don't live in hives. Many native bees nest in the ground, hollow stems, or small cavities and work quietly behind the scenes as important pollinators.

Behind the Blooms: Growing a Pollinator-Friendly Louisville

Pollinator Week celebrates the species that keep ecosystems healthy, but supporting them takes year-round effort. Across Louisville Parks, the Horticulture and Forestry staff create and maintain landscapes that provide food, shelter, and nesting habitat for pollinators while enhancing the beauty and resilience of our parks and public spaces.

Horticulture:

So far this year, the team has planted:

• 1,359 annual flowers adding color and vibrancy throughout the parks
• 46 perennial plants providing reliable beauty year after year
• 42 native pollinator perennials supporting mason bees, leafcutter bees, bumblebees, monarch butterflies, swallowtails, hoverflies, and more
• 57 manzanita shrubs offering a critical early-season nectar source for pollinators
• 30 ninebark shrubs attracting pollinators and providing wildlife habitat
• 30 perennial grasses supplying shelter and nesting materials for beneficial insects
• 19 yucca plants supporting the unique and specialized relationship between the plant and the yucca moth

This fall, the team will also plant 316 spring-blooming bulbs across 10 varieties, ensuring an early burst of color and habitat next spring.

Forestry:

The Forestry team also plays a vital role by planting, pruning, watering, and caring for Louisville's urban forest. 

Trees provide shade, improve air quality, support wildlife, and create valuable habitat for pollinators. When Linden trees bloom, they become a major food source for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Oak trees, often considered a keystone species, provide food, shelter, and overwintering habitat for hundreds of insect species.  Together, the Horticulture and Forestry teams are building not just beautiful parks, but healthier ecosystems and a more sustainable community.

Pocket Prairies: Small Habitats, Big Benefits

Another way Louisville supports pollinators is through pocket prairies, small but powerful native plantings that provide food, shelter, and habitat in parks, open spaces, and urban areas. Filled with native grasses and wildflowers, these compact habitats show how even small landscapes can make a big difference for bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Alongside the ongoing work of Louisville’s Horticulture and Forestry teams, pocket prairies help create connected habitats that support pollinators across the community.

Best Practices for Supporting our Local Pollinating Species

Different pollinators have different needs, and knowing what attracts them can help you create a pollinator-friendly space at home.

Bees

Essential for fruits, veggies, and native plants

• Blue, purple, white, or yellow flowers
• Mild scents
• Shallow blooms with landing spots
• Abundant nectar and visible nectar guides

Butterflies

Need nectar-rich flowers and host plants for caterpillars

• Bright red or purple blooms
• Fresh scents
• Tube-shaped flowers with landing pads
• Deep nectar and nectar guides

Hummingbirds

Pollinate by sight and bright colors, not by using scent.

• Red or orange, scentless flowers
• Funnel-shaped blooms
• Deep nectar wells
• Perches nearby

Bats

Important for pollinating night-blooming plants

• Pale flowers that bloom at night
• Strong, fruity or musky scents
• Bell-shaped, clustered flowers with lots of nectar

Want to Help?

Even small actions can make a big difference. Plant native flowers, provide water and shelter, and create habitat for pollinators in your own backyard.

Turn your yard into pollinator habitat.

Resource Central Garden In A Box

$25 discount for Louisville customers/residents!

Help pollinators and save water at the same time. Waterwise gardens provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators while adding beauty and biodiversity to your yard. Because water is one of Colorado's most valuable resources, choosing low-water plants can make a big difference.

Resource Central's Garden In A Box kits feature low-water perennial plants that can save about 7,000 gallons of water over the life of the garden compared to a traditional lawn. Louisville residents can transform a difficult area of their yard with a beautiful, waterwise Garden In A Box this season.

Visit ResourceCentral.org/Gardens to order a Garden In A Box and claim a $25 discount available to Louisville residents. 

Design a landscape that works for pollinators and saves water.

Landscape templates and resources from Northern Water.

Northern Water offers free tools, sample designs, and practical guidance to help residents create waterwise landscapes that support pollinators and other wildlife.

Whether you're planning a full landscape renovation or looking for inspiration for a small garden project, these resources can help you get started: 

• Efficient Water Use Resources: Northern Water's collection of landscape and irrigation tools, tips, and guides
• Landscape Templates: Free, ready-to-use designs that incorporate water-wise and pollinator-friendly landscaping principles. 

City of Louisville Environmental Designations 

Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary

Snapshot Spotlight

We’re doing some cool things! Don’t miss out. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated!

Goats star in a Michael Jackson Music Video for “Bad” while grazing on invasive weeds like Dalmatian toadflax and diffuse knapweed across Louisville Open Space.

Why did the turtle cross the road? To score a VIP ride to the golf course. This snapping turtle was found on a median and Open Space staff relocated her to safety.

What’s got our Parks crew dancing? It might be fresh patio pots and beautiful blooms officially brightening the streets in downtown Louisville. 

Five Louisville American kestrel chicks received bands this spring, supporting important research on local bird populations.

MOOve over Louisville. The cows were back in town from May 11–28, helping manage Davidson Mesa and North Open Space through regenerative grazing.

Open Space staff brought adaptive bikes to Davidson Mesa Open Space to give riders a new way to experience the trails. It was a great day for everyone involved! 

Volume up! Nature ASMR, Louisville edition. This is Warembourg Open Space at 6:30 a.m. on a Friday. No filter. No soundtrack. Just Louisville doing its thing.

Hoo is this? Meet the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). These large raptors are known for their prominent ear tufts that resemble horns, just like this fluffy owlet!

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