Our Work with Pollinator Partnership & Monarch Award Recognition

For nearly ten years, The J.M. Smucker Co.’s relationship with Pollinator Partnership (P2) has helped us provide habitat support and educational opportunities for our employees that benefit the monarchs and other pollinators that are so critical to our food supply and our world.  

In recognition of this work, we are honored to announce that our efforts towards monarch conservation have earned us Pollinator Partnership’s 2024 Monarch Sustainer of the Year Award. This award recognizes a company that has shown exceptional leadership and action in providing habitat and awareness for monarchs. 

“We are proud to recognize the inspirational efforts of Smucker staff to promote and protect one of North America’s most iconic pollinators,” says Kelly Bills, Executive Director of Pollinator Partnership. “Smucker not only has done an exceptional job creating habitat and raising awareness about monarchs and other pollinators, they’ve provided an invaluable example for how companies can build community and give back through pollinator conservation.” 

Our partnership first blossomed in 2015 with the creation of our beloved pollinator garden at The J.M. Smucker Co. Store near our headquarters in Orrville, OH. The garden originally started as a research plot. Monarch conservation was at the center of our efforts from the beginning and this garden, along with sponsored materials outlining best practices for monarch habitat creation and maintenance, gave those efforts a strong foundation. 

With the help of P2, an additional 1,000 pollinator-friendly plants were installed in 2016, and long-term maintenance plans were developed. Smucker employees volunteered their time to care for the garden and continue the conservation initiatives. In 2020, another 2,600 pollinator-friendly plants (comprised of 36 different species) were added. P2 also assisted in the planning process to add pollinator gardens to our Longmont, CO, and New Orleans, LA, facilities. Each garden includes regionally-specific milkweed and native flowers to provide important resources for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. To this day, all gardens are maintained by employees with the guidance of P2. 

As we celebrate Pollinator Week, we are thankful for P2’s incredible work and collaboration over the years. We look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on monarchs and other pollinators for years to come.