How to Save the Bees

Executive Summary:

My vision is to help create Living Libraries that are diverse, resilient, and beautiful. This act of creation shows how we can have a positive impact on nature. As we remember our co-creative role, and plant keystone native species that provide habitat and food, we are creating a sanctuary and welcoming home our indigenous bee and butterfly species. This investment in biological capital will bring dozens of rare bees and butterflies to your property, as well as help preserve the diversity of life in your area. This paper will outline a list of species native to the region of the Gulf Islands of the Pacific Northwest and an actionable plan to help you save the native bees and butterflies.

~75–85 % of our ~600 native bee species are specialists (they collect pollen from just one plant family or genus. ~85–90 % of our ~150 butterfly species are specialists (their caterpillars can eat only one or a few specific plants). A specialist is a bee or butterfly can only survive on one (or a very few closely related) native plants. If we lose that plant we lose the insect forever. At the same time “Every time we plant and protect that one special native flower, we literally bring a whole species of beautiful bee or butterfly back from the brink and keep it thriving for generations.”

In the Gulf Islands, native bees and butterflies face three primary threats: habitat loss from development and fragmentation, invasive plants combined with overabundant deer browsing that eliminate critical native host and nectar plants

Native plants are the only real estate where specialist caterpillars and bee larvae can live; Garry oak alone hosts over 400 butterfly and moth species, while willows, oceanspray, lupines, violets, and stonecrop are the required homes for nearly all our red-listed butterflies and specialist bees. The same native plants provide nectar and pollen for adult pollinators; red-flowering currant, oceanspray, willows, salal, lupines, and camas feed 70–100+ bee and butterfly species each during critical bloom windows and keep the entire food web alive.

We don’t need to wait for governments or buy huge parks. If enough homeowners turn half their lawns and ornamental plantings back into native plants, we can stitch together a giant, connected “Homegrown National Park” that feeds and shelters specialist bees, butterflies, birds, and everything else — and we can do it in our lifetimes.

Every homeowner who replaces part of their lawn with native keystone plants is personally adding new land to a giant, connected “Homegrown National Park” that provides the stable, resilient ecosystem to support our native bees and butterflies.

To help you select the best native plants for the Gulf Islands region, We`ve included a list in Google Sheets of the keystone species for habitat as well as the most valuable native plants to provide food for bees and butterflies (Nectar and Pollen).

How to turn your lawn into a habitat for native bees and butterflies

At the bottom of this page we’ve also included more detailed planting instructions and a list of Native Plant Nurseries to find plants.

We are the only generation that can still save most of our insects — and the next generation will never forgive us if we don’t.” – Douglas, Tallamy.

“The work of a garden bears visible fruits – in a world where most of our labours seem
suspiciously meaningless.” — Pam Brown”

There can be no purpose more enspiriting than to begin the age of restoration, reweaving the wondrous diversity of life that still surrounds us.”  EO Wilson.

Native Bees, Butterflies, and Specialist Insects of the Gulf Islands, BC

The Gulf Islands (e.g., Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Pender) in the Pacific Northwest host a remarkable diversity of native insects, driven by their coastal meadows, Garry oak savannas, and forested edges. British Columbia overall has ~500 native bee species, ~70 of which occur in the Gulf Islands region, making it a hotspot for coastal pollinators. Butterflies number around 30–40 species locally, with many endemics or subspecies unique to southeastern Vancouver Island and the islands. Specialist insects (those reliant on specific plants or hosts) include oligotrophic bees, larval host-dependent butterflies, and niche moths/beetles, often tied to natives like lupines, oaks, and huckleberries.

Below are comprehensive lists compiled from regional checklists (e.g., BC Bee Atlas, E-Fauna BC, Island Pollinator Initiative, and Xerces Society data). These focus on confirmed or highly likely species for the Gulf Islands.

List of Native Bees in the Gulf Islands and Neighboring Islands (Coastal BC)

Based on the most comprehensive regional data from the BC Bee Atlas (2024), the Pacific Maritime Big Book of Bees (284 species documented in the broader Pacific Maritime ecoregion, with ~70–80 confirmed for the Gulf Islands/Vancouver Island subset via iNaturalist, Spencer Entomological Collection, and E-Fauna BC), and recent surveys (e.g., 60 species on Vancouver Island farms in 2025), I’ve compiled an exhaustive list of ~75 native bee species known from the Gulf Islands (Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Pender) and neighboring islands (Denman, Hornby, Thetis, Saturna). Download the Google Sheets list of native bees here

Native Butterflies and Moths of the Gulf Islands (Pacific Northwest, Coastal BC)

Based on the latest regional checklists (e.g., Vancouver Island Butterflies by Yip & Miskelly 2014, Butterflies and Moths of Southern Vancouver Island by Tatum, E-Fauna BC, and BC Lepidopterists’ Guild data), I’ve refined the list to focus strictly on native species confirmed in the Gulf Islands (e.g., Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Pender) and neighboring islands (e.g., Denman, Hornby, Thetis, Saturna). This excludes non-natives (e.g., Cabbage White, European Skipper), migrants (e.g., Monarch, Common Buckeye), and mainland-only species. Download the Full List of Butterflies in Google Sheets here.

Butterflies: ~55–60 native species total in this subset (out of BC’s ~190), with high endemism in Garry oak meadows and coastal bluffs. ~20 are at-risk (red/blue-listed per BC CDC).

Native Butterflies (~58 Species)

Native Moths of the Gulf Islands and Neighboring Islands (Pacific Northwest, Coastal BC)

I’ve refined the moth list to ensure 100% native species to British Columbia (all are confirmed in coastal BC, including Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands, per E-Fauna BC, PNW Moths database, and Rithet’s Bog/Vancouver Island checklists). ~41 native moths. Google Sheets list of Moth Species local to Gulf Islands.

Top 3 Threats to Native Bees & Butterflies in the Gulf Islands / Coastal BC

1. Habitat Loss & Fragmentation
   Conversion of Garry oak meadows, coastal bluffs, and forests to housing, vineyards, roads, and clearings. Most red-listed species are now confined to tiny, shrinking remnants.
   
2. Invasive Plants, Loss of Native Host/Nectar Plants, and Deer Browsing

• Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, Daphne, ivy, etc. out-compete critical larval hosts (lupines, violets, stonecrop, camas) and nectar plants (oceanspray, currant, spring gold).
• High deer densities on the Gulf Islands heavily browse and eliminate many of the same low-growing native wildflowers and shrubs that bees and butterflies depend on — often wiping out entire populations of violets, lupines, stonecrop, and young currant/oceanspray in unfenced areas within a single season.
  

1. Pesticides & Herbicides (especially neonicotinoids & glyphosate)
   Drift and runoff from agriculture, landscaping, and roadside spraying kill adults and larvae and contaminate pollen/nectar for months to years. Systemic neonics are linked to the collapse of Western Bumblebee and several solitary bees on the islands.

Deer browsing is now the #1 day-to-day threat on most private properties in the Southern Gulf Islands — even a single deer can destroy decades of rare butterfly host plants overnight if they’re not protected. Fencing (or temporary netting/cages around new plantings) is usually essential for successful restoration of violets, lupines, stonecrop, and small shrubs.

Douglas Tallamy’s “Nature’s Best Hope” – One-Page Summary & Action Plan

Core Idea
We don’t need to wait for governments or buy huge parks. If enough homeowners turn half their lawns and ornamental plantings back into native plants, we can stitch together a giant, connected “Homegrown National Park” that feeds and shelters specialist bees, butterflies, birds, and everything else — and we can do it in our lifetimes.

Tallamy’s 5 Clear Action Items

1. Shrink the Lawn by at Least 50 %
   Lawns feed almost nothing. Replace them with dense native plantings.
   Gulf Islands bonus: our mild climate lets us kill lawn with cardboard + mulch in one winter and plant immediately.
2. Plant Keystone Native Genera – the 5–10 plant groups that support 75–90 % of caterpillar/butterfly life
   Gulf Islands top keystones (plant these everywhere):

• Garry oak (Quercus garryana) – supports 300+ caterpillars & moths
• Native willows (Salix spp.) – #1 caterpillar food
• Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor)
• Red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)
• Lupines, violets, stonecrop, camas (for the endangered blues & checkerspots)

1. Remove Invasive Plants
   Every Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, or Daphne you remove makes room for dozens of native plants that actually feed wildlife.
2. Plant in Layers & Leave the Leaves
   Create a “caterpillar buffet”: canopy trees → understory shrubs → perennials → groundcover.
   Never blow leaves away — they are caterpillar nurseries and bee hibernation hotels.
3. Light the Night Less & Cut Chemicals Completely
   Turn off outdoor lights when possible (moths need darkness).
   Zero pesticides/herbicides/neonics — even one spraying can wipe out a season’s caterpillars and bees.

Tallamy’s Best Pearls of Wisdom

• “Every square foot you convert from lawn or invasives to natives is a square foot you just added to a new national park.”
• “Specialist insects are not picky — they’re loyal. Give them their one plant and they’ll come back every year.”
• “Birds don’t eat birdseed. They eat the insects that eat your native plants.”

3-Step Starter Plan (doable in year 1)

1. Sheet-mulch 200–500 sq ft of lawn this winter (cardboard + 8–12″ wood chips ).
2. Spring: plant 3–5 keystone species (Garry oak, willow, oceanspray, currant, lupine, camas).
3. Stop all spraying and start leaving the leaves.

Native Plants Supporting Bees and Butterflies in the Gulf Islands, BC

Based on regional data from the Xerces Society (Maritime Northwest plant list), Native Bee Society of BC, Douglas Tallamy’s keystone research (adapted for PNW ecoregion 7: Marine West Coast Forests), and Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands surveys (e.g., Pollinator Partnership Canada, David Suzuki Foundation), I’ve compiled tables for ~25 key native plants. “Number supported” estimates total bee/butterfly species (larvae/adults combined; Tallamy’s lepidoptera data + Xerces bee associations). Plants are sorted descending by this number.

Specialists are listed by common name (only if obligate/monolectic/oligolectic; e.g., larval host for butterflies or pollen source for bees). Generalists (e.g., bumblebees, swallowtails) visit broadly but aren’t listed unless plant-specific.

Table 1: Habitat Support (Larval Hosts & Nesting Sites)

Focus: Plants providing leaves/stems/wood for caterpillar food, bee nesting (e.g., cavities, stems), or shelter. Sorted by estimated # species supported. Link

Table 2: Food Support (Nectar/Pollen Sources)

Focus: Plants providing nectar/pollen for adult bees/butterflies. Sorted by estimated # species supported (bloom duration/visitor data from Xerces/NBSBC). Link

Exhaustive Gulf Islands Nectar & Pollen Table

(Adult bees & butterflies – sorted by total # of pollinator species supported, then by bloom duration)

*Numbers are conservative averages from Xerces Society visitor counts, iNaturalist observations, and Tallamy-adjusted PNW data. Plants in the top 10 feed 50–110+ species each; even the lower ones are still far better than any non-native.

Plant the top 15 of these and you will have nectar and pollen flowing from February to October — exactly what it takes to bring back the full suite of native bees and butterflies in the Gulf Islands.

Native Plant Nurseries in the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, BC

Below is a comprehensive contact list of nurseries specializing in native plants, compiled from regional directories (e.g., GOERT, NALT, and local conservancies). I’ve prioritized those focused on Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island natives. Nurseries are grouped by primary location for ease (Gulf Islands first, then Vancouver Island). All emphasize ecologically sourced stock for restoration, pollinators, and local biodiversity. Contact details are current as November 2025.

Gulf Islands Nurseries

Vancouver Island Nurseries

Additional Option: NATS Nursery (Bulk Orders)

How to Save the Bees – Your Yard, Starting This Winter

1. Choose 200–500 sq ft of lawn or an area with invasive plants.
   Easiest is a 2ft x 10ft beds
   or 2 x 25ft strips of forest edge or “Hedgerows” for privacy
2. Cut brambles, mow, and cut invasive plants at the ground.
3. This winter, smother it under overlapping cardboard and 8–12 inches of arborist chips. At 8″ 200 sq ft at 8″ is 5 yards. 500 Sq ft is 12.5 yards.
4. Fence the area against deer before spring (2 m fencing is recommended).
5. In March–June, plant top the keystone native plants for habitat and plants for food. Include plants for all vertical layers or stratas (emergent, canopy, shrub, herbaceous, groundcover) Growing tips link
6. Feed at time of planting with some fish bone meal, kelp, and innoculate with mycorrhizae.
7. Water the first summer, then walk away – no chemicals, no mowing, leave the leaves.
8. By year three you’ve built a piece of homegrown national park, a refuge for endangered bees and butterflies.

My Standard “Gulf Islands Native Starter Mix”

In the planting hole I mix:

• Native soil (70–80 %)
• Kelp meal – ½ cup
• Fish bone meal mix – 1-2 cups See: Native Plant Growing tips
• Broad-spectrum mycorrhizal inoculant – 1–2 Tbsp on the roots
• A handful of local forest duff, compost, or leaf mold (for microbes) if available

Skip lime for native plants. Skip mycorrhizae for salal, huckleberry, kinnikinnick, & madrone. I use Root Rescue mycorrhizal innoculant for all other plants.

My vision is to create native plant gardens that act as living libraries of life in land stewards yards. These spaces will be a sanctuary for the remaining bee and butterfly species. We help local land owners invest in their property to restore the original biodiversity and rich biological capital of the land. Our designs provide a space filled with the right plants to provide habitat and nectar for endangered species. We do all the work to bring the land to life – a balanced, vibrant, resilient ecosystem is the result. If you are interested Consulting or Installation Services, please contact us.