A bee hovers near Prince's Plume in the ESLT garden.

Pssst – do you know the secret to a blooming backyard? Sun and soil are important, but it’sbees, butterflies, and other pollinators that bring yourgarden to life year after year.With one-third of our food supply and at least 80% of the world’s flowering plants depending on pollinators, their impact can be felt everywhere – from your backyard to your dinner plate.

Yet bees and butterflies are disappearing. Impacted by disease, pesticides, and the loss of open spaces, pollinators like these are now in danger. And as they suffer, so too does the beauty and productivity of the land you love- and all the families and wildlife that call it home.

There’s good news, though. By creating a beautiful, blooming haven for pollinators in your yard, you can help keep the Eastern Sierrathriving for years to come.

Are you interested in creating your own pollinator-friendly garden? Then mark your calendar: we’re hosting our third annual free Pollinator Garden Workshop on April 8th!

Pollinator Garden Workshop

Saturday, April 8th
10am – 12 pm
Inyo Council for the Arts (137 S Main St, Bishop)

With support from US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and a dynamic team of local advisers, our Pollinator Garden Workshop will provide guidance, information, and resources to anyone ready to harness the power of pollinators and create their own blooming pollinator haven.

To reserve your seat at our Pollinator Garden Workshop, sign up todayby contacting ESLT’s Education Coordinator & AmeriCorps Member, Indigo Johnson, at or (760) 873-4554!

Note: if you are planning to attend, please arrive 10-15 minutes early to sign in and enjoy refreshments before the presentations begin.

At theWorkshop, you’ll learn gardening tips and techniques from local experts, including:

  • Katie Quinlan ofCalifornia Native Plant Society
  • Michelle Hunt and Rachel Williams of USFWS
  • Julie Fontaine of Trestles Environmental Corporation
  • Pete Pumphrey of Eastern Sierra Audubon
  • Roberta Lagomarsini of Inyo-Mono Master Gardeners

Our first certified gardener, Margy Marshall, posing in front of her garden.

The Pollinator Garden Workshop is the first step towards creating your own certified pollinator garden through ESLT’s Eastside Pollinator Garden Project. Sign up to participate in the Project, and we’ll connect you toour network of experts tohelp you get your pollinator-friendly garden growing this spring. Once your garden is ready to be planted, we will award youa $125 voucher for purchasing native plants. We’ll alsocertify your gardenas pollinator habitat, and then give you a Certified Pollinator Garden plaque to post when the certification process is complete.

Since launching our Eastside Pollinator Garden Project in 2014, we’ve been committed tomaking sure that native bees, butterflies, and birds have places tothrive by helping community memberslike you build safe havens for pollinators. We havealready certified 75 beautiful gardens and community spaces in Inyo and Mono Counties as pollinator-friendly. Will yours be next?

If you’re unable to attendthe Workshop, don’t worry – you can still participate in the Eastside Pollinator Garden Project this year.To learn more,contact Indigo Johnson at or (760) 873-4554.

ESLTs Native Plant and Pollinator Garden.

ESLT’s own Native Plant and Pollinator Garden, open year-roundto passers-by who are looking for a little peace and inspiration in nature.