To help raise awareness of the declining populations of many pollinating species, in 2017 the US Senate unanimously voted to establish National Pollinators Week. Because pollen grains are vital not only to our human food supply but to the health of all life on the planet, there is a good reason to care about them: our lives are intertwined with them. This year National Pollination Week is from June 20 to June 26.
A pollinator is any insect or animal that inadvertently, through its movements, carries pollen or the male reproductive part of plants to the female parts of plants, a process that facilitates the reproduction of more than 85% of flowering plants. does. It is estimated that more than two-thirds of the world’s crops depend on pollinators, and the seeds and fruits produced by pollinators form a major part of the diet of many other animals. Perhaps surprisingly, bats, birds, small mammals and lizards can be pollinators, but most pollinators are insects. While the honeybee (introduced from Europe to the Americas, and therefore non-native) usually comes to mind, there is actually a diverse troupe of butterflies, moths, wasps, ants, beetles and flies, and a dazzling array of wild bees. , does most of the work of pollination. In fact, wild bees are primarily responsible for pollination of most agricultural crops, whether managed (as opposed to wild) bees are present or not. The diversity of wild pollinators has improved crop yields (Garibaldi et al, February 2013 in Science). Unfortunately, many species of wild insect pollinators are becoming increasingly rare due to habitat loss, pesticide use, introduced diseases, and climate change (of course, managed bees are not faring very well).
The Xerces Society is an organization dedicated to working on behalf of these important native insects. Founded in 1971, the non-profit Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation was named for Xerces blue (Glaucopsis xerces), a genus of San Francisco sand dunes driven to extinction by land development in the 1940s. There was a butterfly. Based in Portland, Oregon, the Xerces Society creates science-based programs and educational resources to facilitate the conservation of rare and endangered invertebrates and pollinating insects. While its focus is global, it currently has initiatives operating within California, including the California Bumble Bee Atlas and Bumble Bee Watch, and the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper and Thanksgiving Monarch Butterfly Count. These initiatives use community members (citizen scientists) to help collect scientific data, which is an entertaining and educational way to get involved in grassroots pest conservation. You don’t need any previous experience to join this team: Xerces scientists provide the necessary training webinars to get you started.
Helping to conserve pollinators will benefit your own backyard garden and, ultimately, the planet. The Xerces Society website has a wealth of information to help you get started. Broad measures you should take include the following: planting flowers and native plants used by pollinators for food; providing safe habitat for wild bees on your property; reducing or eliminating your use of pesticides; and spreading awareness about the need for pollen grain protection. The website provides specific information on how to meet these goals and a myriad of resources to aid you in your endeavours. https://www.xerces.org,
Perhaps most useful to gardeners are region specific housing installation and maintenance guidelines; List of native plants and seed vendors; and monarch and pollinator housing kits that can be requested for housing improvements on public lands such as city and school properties. If your public land project meets their criteria, you will receive seedlings suitable for your location and habitat and detailed instructions on how to make your housing project a success; You only need to supply the labor.
The Xerces Society also organizes regional events and webinars; a Bee Better certification program that provides incentives to conservation-minded farmers and points consumers to food grown with pollination-friendly practices; And a beautiful pollinator habitat sign (available as gifts to donors) to adorn your garden. For more ideas on how you can improve your garden for pollinators and celebrate National Pollinator Week, visit Pollinator.org.
Butte County’s UC Master Gardeners are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension System, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, agricultural advisory, and nutrition and physical activity programs.