Observation of National Pollinator Week probably goes over the head of most people, but backyard beekeepers and commercial growers who rely on bees and other insects know well the importance of pollinators.

Two speakers this week, one tonight, will discuss the importance of bees.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 35 percent of crop production worldwide depends on pollination as do 80 percent of flowering plants in order to bloom.

Instead of a green lawn devoid of what are considered weeds, homeowners could plant perennials that support pollinators, said Paula Nelson, president of the Four Corners Beekeepers Association.

“Most people don’t know there are alternatives to grass,” Nelson said. “Asters, members of the echinacea genus, the mints, clover and vetch are good substitutes for grass.”

Mint, she said, is a perennial that spreads and keeps its bloom for a long time.

Danny Culhane, the owner of Honeyville, the honey producer and bottler in the Animas Valley, is scheduled to speak to the beekeepers association tonight at 6 at the Florida Baptist Church at Elmore’s Corner.

Culhane is going to talk about the history of beekeeping in La Plata County and Southwest Colorado.

Nelson is set to speak Thursday on what cities can do to encourage more pollinator-friendly landscaping. Nelson’s talk will start at 6 p.m. at the Mancos Library.

National Pollinator Week, the work of Congress seven years ago, has become an international celebration of the value of bees, birds, bats, beetles and butterflies in crop and flower production. It begins today and runs through Sunday.

daler@durangoherald.com