Pollinator Palooza 2026 Event Recap

Pollinators, plants, and fun at Pollinator Palooza 2026. Along with a healthy helping of sun and fun, the Weldon Springs site and interpretive center welcomed more than 530 visitors for the 2026 Pollinator Palooza event. The annual event features a wealth of educational opportunities and kid-friendly activities, along with a few bees and butterflies buzzing around. To help community members support healthy pollinator habitats and learn more about just how bees, insects, and other pollinator friends impact our environment. For 2026, the event focused on the vital role Missouri area pollinators have in the delicate structure of our local environment and offered visitors a great chance to have fun and learn, all while soaking up the great outdoors. While sponsor and community booths provided educational information for area families, more than 30 local vendors offered handy products for gardeners and flower lovers to use in their yards at home. Kids in attendance enjoyed plenty of fun activities, including the Buzz Stop. At this special activity, specially trained Weldon Springs site interpreters carefully caught bumblebees from the Jeannie Moe Memorial Native Plant Educational Garden. Cooling the bumblebees down made them sleepy enough to let participants examine them up close to help identify their species. The data collected is sent to the Missouri Bumblebee Atlas, and once warmed up, the bees, always very serious about pollination, went right back to their official pollinator duties. Throughout the day, Weldon Springs site staff members and volunteers were on hand to coordinate activities, interact with participants, and support visitors during the event. Through events like Pollinator Palooza and Garden Expo, the Weldon Springs site and interpretive center connect to the area communities, highlighting the site's commitment to the long-term protection of the environment and promoting the beneficial reuse of the land. Pollinator Palooza is held at the Weldon Springs site through a partnership with the Missouri Pollinator Network, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri State Parks, and St. Charles County Parks.