Ferndale Pollinator Parade Shows Love for Bees, Flowers, and Other Delights of Nature
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 10, 2025)
Ferndale, MI – The relationship between animals and insects and plants is a beautifully symbiotic one that is easily overlooked by the humans of the planet. But a recent event – The Ferndale Pollinator Parade – helped to celebrate this quirk of nature and raise awareness for the need to protect creatures of all size that support the Earth’s ecosystems.
On June 21 kids and adults gathered at the Ferndale Library for the fun and educational event. The community room was full of organizations supporting environmental efforts, as well as crafts. People painted rocks with inspirational messages, gathered stickers with insects, moths and bats, and made headbands with colorful butterflies to wear for the parade. Many wore shirts and costumes with their favorite little horticultural helpers.
Then they marched around the block to show off their love and let the world know about the power of pollinators.
Tim Jackson and Nicole Linsey of Detroit Hives were on hand with a small bee hive in a clear case to show how bees use pollen to create honey. As the bees gather pollen from various flowers, they spread the pollen from plant to plant, causing fertilization. Without bees, many flower species would not survive.
“Detroit Hives was a solution to a pressing issue,” Linsey said. “Detroit has a lot of vacant lots and we’re helping to solve that by transforming those into green spaces. We create pollinator habitats with a variety of plants. And we educate the youth and get them involved.”
The SE Michigan Beekeepers Association also had a table. President Rick Wieske of Royal Oak got involved with bee keeping after developing a love for making mead. Honey is an important component of the drink, but finding local sources was a challenge. So he took on a new hobby, which led him into advocacy.
“We’re active with education and letting kids know not to be afraid of bees,” Wieske said. “We have a Bee Curious program where we give booklets to kids. We’ve helped over 10,000 children learn about bees. The more you know about something, the less you fear it.” Most recently he spoke at Oakland Elementary School in Royal Oak, to an audience of over 400 kids.
“It’s my therapy,” he said. “It keeps me sane.”
The Ferndale Beautification Commission and the Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission teamed up with the Library to make the Pollinator Parade happen. Andrea Popovic is the President of the FESC. She encouraged people to get involved with groups and causes in the city. “You learn so much about the city in general. You sit at the table and get to meet people from different sections of the city and find out about different programs.” Popovic came to the US as a refugee from Yugoslavia, in an area now called Bosnia, 11 years ago. “Ferndale is my home and I want to be involved as much as I can,” she said.
The City of Ferndale has a native landscaping ordinance that allows residents leeway in creating beautiful spaces for pollinators, rather than simply focusing on green grass lawns. The ordinance has been in place for ten years now, and there are many places in the city where bees, bats, birds, and other insects can find the diverse food sources they need to flourish even in a suburban environment.
Learn more:
Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission
Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission
SE Michigan Beekeepers Association
