The city of St. Joseph is seeking to help residents be better stewards of the natural world by creating healthy pollinator habitats in the community.

Speaking to commissioners this week, Communications Director Kayla Griffith said St. Joe is already both a Bee City USA and a Silver Michigan Green Community. To renew Bee City status and secure more Michigan Green points, it’s launched a Pollinator Habitat Certification program that will enable residents to get certified as true friends of the bees when they create habitat on their properties.

Griffith said anyone should be able to help.

“This certification is designed to be accessible for everyone in the city,” Griffith said. “So no matter the amount of property that a city resident has, whether they’re a renter or an owner, maybe just a small spot on a balcony, maybe they have a full backyard, some level of certification and recognition for their efforts should be achievable.”

Griffith said the certification would evaluate enrolled residents in three key areas.

“And so that’s plants and biodiversity. How useful are these plants to pollinators? How many species do they support? Do these plants provide food year round? Do you have blooms in the spring, summer, fall? Garden management. So that’s primarily pesticide use. If you have an aphid infestation, are you using pesticides or are you spraying them off with a hose? Are you pruning disease or are you using fungicides? That sort of thing. And then finally, amenities. Water and shelter are both necessities in order to support a thriving habitat.”

Residents can learn more about the Pollinator Habitat Certification program online.