A green sweat bee is just one of the pollinators Chicagoans might spot in their local parks. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

The Chicago Park District is joining a national community science project designed to raise awareness of all the bees, butterflies, beetles, moths and wasps that rely on urban green spaces for food and shelter.

“Parks for Pollinators” will run throughout the entire month of September, gathering observations via the iNaturalist platform.

Participating is simple. Just venture out to any of the city’s natural areas, look for pollinators, snap a photo and upload it to the “Parks for Pollinators 2022: Chicago Park District” project in iNaturalist.

The purpose of this extended biolitz is two-fold. One goal is to familiarize people with the city’s array of pollinators as well as which plants they prefer. Second, the information gathered is useful to the Park District as a snapshot of how well the city’s green spaces are doing in terms of supporting biodiversity.      

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]