The Plight of Pollinators :
The latest efforts to protect a vital link in the food chain by Jennifer Sea
We are coming to terms with how best to promote native pollinators as well as sustain honeybees
Native pollinators are vital to local plants . Honey bees are not native to North America , were imported from Europe , and are very effectively used to pollinate food crops as well as producing honey . Some native plants , however , cannot be pollinated by honey bees . Native bees , as opposed to those that were imported from Europe , and other pollinators are often key to pollinating native food crops and plants . Birds , native bees , butterflies , bats , and other pollinators have been hit hard by loss of habitat , pesticides , pollution and even pathogens brought in with domestic bees .
Pollinators have even made it to the Endangered Species List : seven bee species native to Hawaii were added to the list just this year . This will help provide funding for more research on pollinators and development of protection and recovery programs .
One such program , the Pollinator Partnership , is the world ’ s largest organization working on pollinator issues . They have recently set up the North American
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Pollinator Protection Campaign ( NAPPC ), which is dedicated to protecting local and migratory pollinators . They have also set up a Bee Friendly Farmer certification ( online and self-certifying ) program to get farmers involved . The US Bee Buffer Project was established to create foraging habitats for local pollinators and A Bee Smart School Garden Kit to get students and teachers involved in protecting and promoting the health of pollinators .
Earlier this year First Lady Michelle Obama announced the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge ( MPGC ) at the White House . The MPGC is “ a nationwide call to action to preserve and create gardens and landscapes that help revive the health of bees , butterflies , birds , bats and other pollinators across America . We will move millions of individuals , kids and families outdoors and make a connection between pollinators and the healthy food people eat .”
In Massachusetts , we are slowly coming to terms with how best to promote native pollinators . The state is working with experts from all sides of these issues to try to find a sustainable solution . State Bill H . 4187 , which combines two earlier Bills , is now scheduled to have a report out by the end of the year . This legislation gathers local experts to determine some of the causes of bee colony collapse and what should be done to address the problem .
In an instance where part of the problem may also be a part of the solution , The Best Bees Company in Boston , founded in 2010 by Noah Wilson Rich , Ph . D ., began as a means to raise money for research into honey bee health . The company ’ s mission now is “ to expand the honey bee population whilst improving the overall health and safety of bees nationwide .”
It will take a partnership among federal and local government , charitable foundations , and the general public to address and control this looming disaster . Whether joining in the MPGC officially or by simply planting clusters or even window boxes filled with native plants rich in pollen and nectar , and limiting your use of pesticides as much as possible , you can give native pollinators the plants they need while sustaining and enriching our native ecosystems .