This week is Pollinator Week in Boulder City and around the world and we all have the opportunity to make our communities more friendly to pollinators like bees, wasps, butterflies, birds, bats, beetles, and other small mammals. They are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. Between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants need help with pollination. Pollinators add $217 billion to the global economy.
From Pollinator.org:
Pollinator populations are changing. Many pollinator populations are in decline and this decline is attributed most severely to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats [8, 9]. Pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease, and changes in climatic patterns are all contributing to shrinking and shifting pollinator populations. In some cases there isn’t enough data to gauge a response, and this is even more worrisome.
Recent fires in California destroyed some of the migratory habitat for the monarch butterfly in Topanga Canyon. In Santa Barbara, only 198 monarch butterflies were counted in the winter counter, down from 33,200 from the year before!
So, how can we help? We found these helpful tips from Pollinator.org:
PLANT FOR POLLINATORS
- Habitat opportunities abound on every landscape – from window boxes to acres of farms to corporate campuses to utility and roadside corridors – every site can be habitat.
- Utilize plants native to your area (or at the least, non-invasive for your area).
- Utilize the Ecoregional Planting Guides and the Garden Recipe Cards to create or enhance your pollinator garden. Decide among the plant material options – seeds, plugs, plants or a combination.
- Know your soil type and select appropriate plant material.
- Plant in clusters to create a “target’ for pollinators to find.
- Plant for continuous bloom throughout the growing season from spring to fall.
- Select a site that is removed from wind, has at least partial sun, and can provide water.
- Allow material from dead branches and logs remain as nesting sites; reduce mulch to allow patches of bare ground for ground-nesting bees to utilize; consider installing wood nesting blocks for wood-nesting natives.
2. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE IMPACT OF PESTICIDES.
- Check out the Pesticides Learning Center on the Pollinator Partnership website to learn more about the interactions between pollinators and pesticides!
- Where possible, avoid pest problems in the first place by burying infested plant residues, removing pest habitat, and planting native plants that encourage natural enemies of pests.
- Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
- If you are a farmer or pesticide applicator, check out our Pesticide Education Module.
- If you must use pesticides, read and follow ALL label directions carefully.
3. BECOME A BEE FRIENDLY GARDEN MEMBER
- Join Bee Friendly Gardening to showcase your commitment to pollinator health! Connect with a network of gardeners all across North America and beyond.
- If you are a farmer or rancher there are other options for you. Check out the Bee Friendly Farming page to learn more.
4. REACH OUT TO OTHERS – INFORM AND INSPIRE
- Utilize all the materials available to help you tell the story of pollinators.
- Especially during National Pollinator Week (June 17-23, 2024).
- Tell local and state government officials that you care about pollinator health.
5. SUPPORT LOCAL BEES AND BEEKEEPERS.
- Buying local honey supports the beekeepers in your area.
- If you’re concerned about the number of chemicals use in agriculture, buy organic.
- If you’re concerned about contributions to global carbon emissions, buy local.
6. CONSERVE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES; USE LESS AND REDUCE YOUR IMPACT.
- Pollinators are dramatically affected by extremes in weather.
- Climate change puts pressure on native ranges and overwintering sites.
7. SUPPORT THE WORK OF GROUPS PROMOTING SCIENCE BASED, PRACTICAL EFFORTS FOR POLLINATORS.
For more information on how Boulder City gardens and gardeners are supporting pollinators, contact Cheryl Waites via email HERE.
