The Pollinator District framework is a community planning model that integrates pollinator habitat, native landscaping, sustainable design, research and public education into real estate development to support bees, butterflies and other critical species. — By Kyle Harris Across North America, pollinator populations are in decline. Scientists continue to document the threat to bees, butterflies and other pollinators that support ecosystems, biodiversity and food production. A 2025 NatureServe-led study found that more than 22% of native North American pollinators are at elevated risk of extinction, based on an assessment of nearly 1,600 species, including bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, flower flies, bats and hummingbirds. Separately, US beekeepers reported losing an estimated 55.6% of managed honey bee colonies between April 2024 and April 2025 – the highest annual loss rate recorded since national tracking began in 2010–2011. The stakes extend far beyond pollinators themselves. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, at least in part, on animal pollination. More than 75% of the world’s food crop types benefit from pollinators; they are responsible for producing many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that support both human nutrition and ecosystem health. Researchers estimate the global economic value of pollination services exceeds US$235 billion annually, highlighting the importance of pollinator health not only to biodiversity, but also to food security and agricultural productivity. Habitat loss and fragmentation remain among the leading drivers of pollinator decline, alongside pesticide exposure, disease and climate change. As natural landscapes are converted into roads, neighborhoods, commercial centers and other forms of development, pollinators lose access to the connected habitat they need to survive. Food sources become fragmented. Nesting opportunities disappear. The conventional response has largely focused on conservation. Protect more land. Restore more habitat. Preserve