Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate the invaluable role that bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators play in our ecosystem. Let’s explore how you can participate in Pollinator Week.
Importance of Pollinators
“Pollinators ensure the reproductive success of plants and the survival of the wildlife that depend on those plants for food and shelter. They are also responsible for an estimated one out of three bites of food that people eat […]” –Pollinator.org
Unfortunately, the overall decrease of pollinators from deforestation from city development has destroyed natural habitats for pollinators. However, there are ways to slow down or even stop their decline.
Services We Offer
1. Bloom(in)Box
Our Bloom (in) Box is an annual event which offers a special selection of native plants packaged and available for picked-up at the Reep House.
Our Pollinator Plant Pop-up sale is a fall event where we offer a wide variety of native flowering shrubs and small trees to add to your garden. These plants are a great way to add structure and character to your garden and give pollinators food and habitat throughout the year.
Native trees have a lot to offer pollinators and can be the best way to support wildlife in your yard if you have limited space. This subsidized service includes an in-person consultation in your yard, as well as delivery and full planting service.
How You Can Help
1. Plant and Design Pollinator Friendly Gardens
Anyone can have a pollinator garden regardless of your property size. As long as you try to include pollinator-friendly plants in your garden, you can help make a difference.
Scientists at the Royal Society have identified four ways to help increase the habitat carrying capacity of your home for local pollinators:
1. Increase nesting opportunities with the nesting needs of different pollinating species in mind and these may include; gaps in surface vegetation or modifying cultivation practices.
2. Increase forage by providing suitable diverse floral resources in the local area and the broader landscape during the season of pollinator activity.
3. Enhance opportunities for colonization by connecting habitats with flowering strips and hedgerows around arable fields, small forest patches or even single trees as ‘stepping-stones.’
4. Reduce risk of population crashes in field and the surrounding habitats by foregoing use of broad-spectrum insecticides during bloom, especially those that can contaminate nectar and pollen.
Source: Importance of Pollinators in Changing Landscapes for World Crops.” Proceedings: Biological Sciences, vol. 274, no. 1608, 2007, pp. 303–13.
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In a blog posted by Better Homes & Garden, Lauren Dunec Hoang provides 3 examples for pollinator gardens.
The plants in their garden are kept in containers and dissected with a footpath, which is an important design feature that promotes circulation and prevents harmful chemicals (for your garden) from accumulating in puddles or the soil.*
*Banaszak, Józef. “Strategy for Conservation of Wild Bees in an Agricultural Landscape.” Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, vol. 40, no. 1-4, May 1992, pp. 179–192, https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8809(92)90091-o.
2. Build Pollinator-Friendly Infrastructure
a) Rain Gardens (RGs)
Rain gardens use the soil as the “sink” for rainwater to fall into and absorb slowly into the soil. The plants are typically planted in a special medium that helps with water retention without rotting the roots of your plant.
b) Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWH Systems)
Rainwater Harvesting Systems use special eaves systems to guide rainwater into a single location (most often a barrel large storage basin) for you to use later when your plants need to be watered.
Comparison Between RG’s and RWH Systems
Fabrication investments for RGs were significantly lower than those of RWH systems.
There was a noticeable difference between the overall impact between the two systems. Where RGs average were between 17-65% and RWH systems were between 105-200%.
Source: A Comparison of Environmental Impacts between Rainwater Harvesting and Rain Garden Scenarios.” Process Safety and Environmental Protection, vol. 159, Mar. 2022, pp. 198–212
2. Make an Impact – Our Children
Our children will be the next generation to inherit our world. Make a difference by helping them engage with the environment around them. Here are some activities to do for pollinator week for the young ones at home for summer break:
- Walk around town, identify pollinator gardens and create a nature bracelet. (Just be mindful of your impact when you pluck plants from the ground.)
- Attending pollinator events hosted by Reep Green Solutions or other environmental-awareness groups.
- Look for educational workshops or videogames.
- Worksheets and print-out to fill out at home.
PIN Image may be NSFW.
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You can access the printable version of this FREE worksheet here.
Conclusion
Pollinator Week is an opportunity to celebrate and support the incredible diversity of pollinators that contribute to the health of our planet. Together we can all play a role in ensuring their survival for generations to come.
Works Cited
Banaszak, Józef. “Strategy for Conservation of Wild Bees in an Agricultural Landscape.” Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, vol. 40, no. 1-4, May 1992, pp. 179–192, https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8809(92)90091-o.
Klein, Alexandra-Maria, et al. “Importance of Pollinators in Changing Landscapes for World Crops.” Proceedings: Biological Sciences, vol. 274, no. 1608, 2007, pp. 303–13. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25223779. Accessed 10 June 2024.
Rashid, Abu Reza M., et al. “A Comparison of Environmental Impacts between Rainwater Harvesting and Rain Garden Scenarios.” Process Safety and Environmental Protection, vol. 159, Mar. 2022, pp. 198–212, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2021.12.047.