Bridging Passions: How Bonsai Can Grow Your Love for Pollinators
by Andy Grinstead, Pollinator Partnership
March 4, 2025
When we think about our hobbies, they often feel like distinct silos - places where we retreat to relax or create something meaningful. But what if your favorite pastime could act as a bridge to larger interests? Take one of my hobbies, bonsai, the meticulous art of shaping miniature trees, and one of my interests, pollinators, the hardworking insects and animals that sustain ecosystems and support our food systems. At first glance, these two might seem worlds apart, but exploring their connection reveals a fascinating opportunity to enrich both passions.
The Power of Connecting Hobbies and Interests
Connecting hobbies with broader interests isn’t just a way to maximize your time; it’s an opportunity to build a richer, more integrated life. Whether it’s a love for gardening that leads to an interest in sustainability or a passion for photography that evolves into documenting wildlife, these connections can transform hobbies into vehicles for greater impact. Exploring these overlaps allows you to learn more, meet like-minded people, and contribute to causes you care about - all while doing something you love.
Bonsai: A Gateway to Ecology
Bonsai teaches us patience, attention to detail, and reverence for nature. As you prune and shape your trees, you’re engaging in a living dialogue with the natural world. The care required to maintain a bonsai tree - monitoring soil health, water, and light - mirrors the careful stewardship pollinators need to thrive. By expanding bonsai practice to incorporate pollinator-friendly elements, you can create a personal ecosystem that benefits both your trees and the environment.
Pollinator-Friendly Bonsai Practices
Here are some simple ways that I connect my love for bonsai with a broader interest in supporting pollinators:
- Select Pollinator-Friendly Plants: Choose species that produce flowers beneficial to bees, butterflies, or other pollinators. Commonly available flowering trees like crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) or crabapple (Malus spp.), though non-native, are well-known in the bonsai community and can serve as both stunning bonsai specimens and valuable nectar sources. However, studies show that native plants are especially effective at supporting local pollinator populations, so have some fun and try unconventional species – I have a black oak (Quercus velutina), ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) on my bench right now!
- Incorporate Companion Planting: Surround your bonsai collection with native plants that attract pollinators. If you’re limited in space, a small container garden featuring milkweed (Asclepias spp.), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), or New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) can provide forage while complementing your bonsai aesthetic. Use this as an opportunity to bring in diverse bloom times that sustain pollinators throughout the year.
- Avoid Harmful Chemicals: Pesticides and herbicides can harm pollinators, even in small amounts. Chemicals like neonicotinoids, frequently used in garden products, are especially toxic and can disrupt navigation and reproduction in bees. To protect pollinators, consider integrated pest management. This approach encourages beneficial insects like ladybugs or lacewings to control pests naturally.
- Provide Water Sources: Pollinators need water to thrive, just like your bonsai. A shallow dish with pebbles and fresh water can double as a hydration station for visiting bees and butterflies.
A Mutual Connection
The beauty of linking a focused hobby like bonsai with a broader cause like pollinator conservation is that it fosters mutual enrichment. Caring for pollinators can enhance the health of your bonsai trees by encouraging a thriving local ecosystem. Meanwhile, your bonsai practice can deepen your understanding of the intricate connections within nature - the same connections pollinators rely on.
Finding Overlaps in Everyday Life
The connection between bonsai and pollinators is just one example of how hobbies can intersect with broader interests. Think about your own hobbies: are you a cyclist who’s passionate about advocating for greener cities? A knitter who supports local fiber farms? Or perhaps you’re a glassblower whose art could raise awareness about local events or grassroots action? These intersections are everywhere, waiting to be discovered. A painter could use their art to depict endangered species and educate viewers. A woodworker might source materials sustainably and advocate for responsible forestry. Even seemingly unrelated hobbies, like gaming, could inspire the creation of educational content about conservation or natural resource management. Education is often most impactful when rooted in curiosity and a willingness to take risks. By exploring these overlaps, you can turn your personal interests into platforms for advocacy and even innovation.
Start Small, Think Big
Using my interests as an example, you don’t have to overhaul a bonsai collection or build an elaborate pollinator habitat overnight. Start with small steps: research flowering bonsai species, plant a few native flowers nearby, or place a bee-friendly water station next to your display. Each action, however small, contributes to a larger ripple effect in your environment.
By weaving your hobbies and interests together, you’re not only enriching your personal life but also making a meaningful impact on the world around you. So, in my case, the next time I’m trimming a bonsai branch I’ll think about the pollinators and how my hobby might help them thrive.
Andy's woodworking projects