The Backyard Plant Sale

Pollinators

I heard an interesting story about pollinators on NPR not long ago. It mentioned the incredible importance of pollinators in our food supply. In addition to species like bees and butterflies, pollinators apparently include bats and 13 species of birds to name just a few.

However what really caught my attention was the importance of native species in the act of pollination. Apparently some hybrids just don't contain the amount of pollen that native plants have and are not as attractive to pollinators. So that was just another thing that makes me feel good about the message we are delivering at The Backyard Plant Sale.

If you are interested in this kind of thing, you can find more information at these sources:

www.pollinator.org/pdfs/SoutheastMixedForestrx3.pdf

www.nappc.org

I pulled this from the first link above:

In theIr 1996 book, the Forgotten PollInators, Buchmann and Nabhan estimated that animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Each of us depends on these industrious pollinators in a practical way to provide us with the wide range of foods we eat. In addition, pollinators are part of the intricate web that supports the biological diversity in natural ecosystems that helps sustain our quality of life.

Abundant and healthy populations of pollinators can improve fruit set and quality, and increase fruit size. In farming situations this increases production per acre. In the wild, biodiversity increases and wildlife food sources increase.

Peaches, strawberries, watermelon, and cauliflower are some of the crops raised in the Southeastern Mixed Forest that rely on honey bees and native bees for pollination. Domestic honey bees pollinate approximately $10 billion worth of crops in the U.S. each year.

Unfortunately, the numbers of both native pollinators and domesticated bee populations are declining. They are threatened by habitat loss, disease, and the excessive and inappropriate use of pesticides. The loss of commercial bees to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has highlighted how severe the issues of proper hive management are to reduce stresses caused by disease, pesticide use, insufficient nutrition, and transportation practices. Currently, the pollination services that the commercial beekeeping industry provides are receiving much needed research and conservation resources. The efforts to understand the threats to commercial bees should help us understand other pollinators and their roles in the environment as well. It is imperative that we take immediate steps to help pollinator populations thrive. The beauty of the situation is that by supporting pollinators’ need for habitat, we support our own needs for food and support diversity in the natural world.

Thank you for taking time to consult this guide. By adding plants to your landscape that provide food and shelter for pollinators throughout their active seasons and by adopting pollinator friendly landscape practices, you can make a difference to both the pollinators and the people that rely on them.

Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director
Pollinator Partnership

a NAPPC and Pollinator Partnership™ Publication



By the way, did you know The Annual Backyard Plant Sale has a facebook page?

21 Aug, 2009 | Julie

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