WHITE TOWNSHIP, NJ, June 24, 2026 – The Warren County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed the week of June 22 to June 28 as “Pollinator Week” in Warren County and recognized three local organizations whose efforts help to maintain and promote the well-being of pollinators in Warren County.

Pollinator Week is an annual celebration that seeks to support the health of pollinator species, such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats. It is a time to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and spread the word on what we can do to protect them.

Pollinator Species are essential partners to farmers in producing much of our food supply – 75% of crops benefit from pollinators, with a smaller percentage depending entirely on them to produce fruit or seeds such as apples and tomatoes – and they provide significant environmental benefits that are necessary for maintaining healthy and biodiverse ecosystems. Honey bees, New Jersey’s State Insect and a key pollinator, are responsible for between $1.2 and $5.4 billion in US agricultural productivity annually.

Pollination also plays a vital role in the health of our forests and grasslands, which provide forage, fish and wildlife, timber, water, mineral resources, and recreational opportunities, as well as enhance economic development opportunities for the community.

Members of the Warren County Pollinator Protectors, 4-H Bug a Boos club, and the New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg were recognized for their efforts to increase the habitats and viability of key pollinator species as well as educating the public on their importance. Prior to their meeting, the Commissioners toured the Pollinator Garden located at the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building with representatives of the groups that are working to protect pollinators.

Commissioner Jason J. Sarnoski thanked all who worked on the pollinator garden, adding, “Congratulations to all of you and thank you for helping an important part of our ecosystem.”

 “We have people of every age group and background tonight,” Commissioner James R. Kern III said. “To me, that shows you how our shared environment impacts everyone, and all of us can do our part to make this corner of the state one of the most special places to live,” Kern said, adding that he hoped the efforts of the groups attending the meeting would serve as an example to inspire others to continue the work.

“Nature is amazing how it all works together, how bees are what keep us going,” especially in an agricultural county like Warren, noted Commissioner Director Lori Ciesla. “We need those bees,” Ciesla said, praising the “amazing work” accomplished by the groups attending the meeting “to protect our environment and make it thrive.”

The Warren County Pollinator Protectors is a volunteer task force of the Warren County Environmental Advisory Committee. They are dedicated to safeguarding local ecosystems and promoting the health and well-being of pollinators by creating awareness, implementing conservation strategies, participating in service projects, and engaging the community in sustainable practices to protect these vital species. For more information visit www.wcnj-pollinatorprotectors.com.

The Bug a Boos are the Warren County 4-H’s largest club. Members maintain and care for bee hives and run the butterfly pavilion at the Warren County Farmers’ Fair. Members save monarch caterpillars living in the hay field before it is mowed for the fair and raise them to exhibit at the fair, where they emerge into butterflies and are then released to go preform their crucial role. For more information visit warren.njaes.rutgers.edu/4h/clubs/.

The New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg provides a unique educational experience for young adults and its community-based and environmental service learning projects are what makes the Youth Corps unique. These environmental projects address needs in the community, develop a sense of personal and civic pride in Corps members, and provide controlled work situations which allow Corps members to develop the maturity and skills necessary to become a better candidate for employment. Many of these projects include the protection and maintenance of native plant species for pollinators, and Corps members also participate in beehive management and maintenance. For more information visit www.njycphillipsburg.com.

In 2024 Commissioner Kern announced the County’s partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and introduced the launch of the Commissioners' Conservation Challenge, with the goal to help Warren County become a healthier and more wildlife-friendly community by encouraging residents to voluntarily create wildlife habitats at sites like yards, schools, businesses, places of worship, community gardens, and parks. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers such as Clairanne Arcaro, Michelle St. Andre, and Jennifer Correa-Kruegel of the Warren County Pollinator Protectors, Warren County became the first county to be certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Interested residents can still certify their own properties or communal spaces at https://nwf.org/Certify. By turning your yard, balcony container garden, schoolyard, worship landscape, work landscape, or roadside greenspace into a Certified Wildlife Habitat, anyone can make a positive difference for our local wildlife.

Above: The Warren County Board of County Commissioners honored members of the Warren County Pollinator Protectors, 4-H Bug a Boos club, and the New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg for their efforts to increase the habitats and viability of key pollinator species as well as educating the public on their importance.

Below left: Jennifer Correa-Kruegel of the Warren County Pollinator Protectors points out some of the plants in the Pollinator Garden at the County's administration building to Commissioner Jason J. Sarnoski. Below right: the Pollinator Garden at the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building in White Township.