Nature's little helpers were celebrated at Nanaimo's Beaufort Park 'food forest' this weekend, with volunteers gathering to do some garden work.
Allen Henderson, food forest volunteer coordinator, said mason bees are important in helping plants flourish.
"We're celebrating Mason Bee Day," he said. "[It's] a native, small bee that does the majority of the work in the cold weather of pollinating all the blossoms, and then later on the summer, the lazy bumblebees come out and do the rest."
The bees lay eggs inside a birdhouse-like structure, and volunteers help with cleaning and mite treatment, according to Henderson. In the spring, volunteers put out cocoons, and when the sun comes out, the cocoons open and the bees fly out.
"One of the nice things about the mason bees is because they're native, even if we didn't support them, they'd still be around," said Henderson. "But the more they're [supported], the more likely we are to get everything pollinated."
He added that Mason Bee Day also marked the food forest's official opening of the year. There are more than 50 fruit and nut trees as well as berry bushes and more at the park.
Anyone looking to volunteer with the forest can contact City of Nanaimo or show up to volunteer sessions at Beaufort Park, 69 Lorne Pl., on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.
