As we enter early July and the heart of the summer season, the restored prairies in our Fox River watershed are ablaze with colorful flowering plants. The Wild Bergamot, Coneflowers of many types, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, and other beautiful plants are near their peak bloom.
The profusion of these beautiful flowers also has led to a large increase in the numbers and types of pollinators doing their vital work to help sustain themselves, the life cycle of the plants
they visit, and indeed, all life on our planet.
A Slow Start Begins to Show Promise
I was quite concerned earlier in the summer as I saw very few pollinators (honeybees, native bumble bees, butterflies, and others) when I went on my hikes on the prairies in our local forest preserves. Lately, however, I have seen a big jump in the number of pollinators, particularly bumble bees and butterflies, that I see on my near daily hikes. I’m particularly heartened to see quite a few Monarch butterflies that have been in serious decline in recent years. On a recent hike in the Hoover Forest Preserve near Yorkville, I counted 37 Monarchs! I don’t think I have seen that many in the last two years combined! Before I get too excited about their potential comeback, I know that my local experience is not necessarily representative of the butterfly population overall, but it gives me some hope that they may be starting to recover. Time will tell.
Buzzing Bumble Bees
I’m also starting to see many different native bumble bees (Bombus genus) busy visiting the native blossoms to collect nectar and pollen to ensure their survival and the survival of their young. In the process, the bees provide an essential service to the plants by pollinating them, which enables the plants to produce fertile seeds thereby assisting the plants in sustaining their species. Approximately three-quarters of North American plant species require assistance from an insect, bird, or animal to help them reproduce. NOTE: If you are interested in learning more about the 12 species of bumble bees that are native to Illinois, the Forest Preserve District of Kane County in conjunction with the St. Charles and Geneva Park Districts, is sponsoring a “Learn from the Experts: Bumble Bees of Kane County “ presentation on Saturday, July 19, 2025 from 1 to 3pm at the Creek Bend Nature Center in the Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve. Registration is required. Call 630-444-3190 for more information.
A Mutually Beneficial Relationship Between Pollinators and Plants
This symbiotic relationship between pollinators and plants leads to really beautiful scenes in a restored prairie in the summer. The blossoms of the prairie plants are naturally designed to attract the attention of pollinators through their shapes and colors. These differently shaped and colored flowers are aesthetically pleasing to us human visitors to the prairie too! The pollinators themselves are interesting and beautiful in their own right. For the remainder of my article this month, I’ll show some photographs of the types of flowering prairie plants that I commonly encounter on my hikes and the various species of pollinators that visit them.
if you were wondering!
in the Fox River watershed.
Clearwings have lighter colored legs.
Common Milkweed.
