3 / 23 / 22 , 9:34 AM Learn More About the Vital Role Bees , Butterflies , Bats and Other Small Creatures Play During National Pollinator Week 2021 - Ci …
Learn More About the Vital Role Bees , Butterflies , Bats and Other Small Creatures Play During National Pollinator Week 2021
Learn More About the Vital Role Bees , Butterflies , Bats and Other Small Creatures Play During National Pollinator Week 2021 By Melissa Walker , Environmental Education Specialist Posted on Friday , June 18 , 2021
On June 8th , Mayor Jeff Williams and the Arlington City Council issued a proclamation to observe June 21-27 , 2021 , as National Pollinator Week .
Pollinators such as bees , butterflies , moths , beetles , birds , and bats play an essential role in our environment . They help create and maintain diverse ecosystems and are vital to our food supply . Approximately 80 % of the global food crops require pollination . In the United States , 150 food crops rely on pollinators with an estimated worth of $ 10 billion dollars per year .
Pollination occurs when pollen is moved in and between flowers of the same species leading to fertilization , which produces seeds . Pollen can be transferred by animals or by the wind . Animals that facilitate pollination are called pollinators . Pollinators provide ecosystem services that support wildlife and native plant communities in the following ways :
• Native plant diversity provides food and shelter for birds and other wildlife
• Pollinator habitat helps remove pollutants from stormwater runoff improving local water quality
• Diverse plant communities prevent erosion and maintain healthy watersheds
• Flowering plants help return moisture to the atmosphere which is integral to the water cycle
• Flowering plants utilize carbon dioxide to produce oxygen . 1 / 2