Celebrate All Pollinators
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Pollinator Week 2017 began as a reminder to address the mass decline of pollinator populations around the world. Today, it is an international celebration of the valuable services birds, bees, butterflies, bats, and beetles provide to the ecosystem. Unfortunately, declining pollinator populations are still a major problem, as for the first time in history, a bee species was added to the Endangered Species list this year.
What is pollination? Pollination is when pollen grains are moved from one flower to another of the same species, resulting in fertilization. This can happen by wind or pollinators! Successful pollination can even require multiple pollinators to visit the same flowers.
Vital to humanity’s survival, pollinators are responsible for an estimated one third of all food products. These pollinators add $20 billion to the food industry in the United States alone. Some crops that rely on these beneficial animals include corn, coffee, blueberries, melons, peaches, pumpkins, and even chocolate!
Pollination enables 40% of the world’s crops and 90% of our wild plants to thrive. It’s important to remember that not all pollinators are bees. There are roughly 1,000 beneficial vertebrae species (birds, bats and other small mammals). Another 200,000 species are beneficial insects such as bees, flies, wasps, and beetles. Though a large focus is put on the pollination benefits of bees due to recent news about synthetic pesticides causing a decline in their populations, we should not forget that many other pollinator species are also effected.
How can you protect pollinators?
You can reduce your impact by eliminating synthetic pesticide use. If you need to use pesticides, make sure that they are natural and pollinator-safe, like neem-based pesticides.
You can also plant for pollinators by creating pollinator-friendly habitats that teem with nectar and pollen.
Spread the word! Make sure that everyone is aware of the dangers for pollinators, including conventional agriculture, and encourage others to practice more sustainable methods in their daily lives!
