Showcasing beetles, ants and bees at Butterfly Pavilion

Pollinator Palooza opens with largest-ever pollinator exhibit

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Butter y Pavilion kicked o Pollinator Palooza with the opening of a new exhibit on May 2, with help from Congresswoman Brittany Petersen and Marlon Reis, Colorado’s rst gentlemen.

“When I think about the challenges that we’re facing, having a three-yearold son and what his future looks like, it can be incredibly overwhelming. But it’s people like all of you who inspire me to believe that we’re going to rise to the occasion and meet this moment,” said Petersen.

For the next two months, the Pavilion will be celebrating pollinators. eir new exhibit, Pollinator Place, will be their largest pollinator-focused exhibit ever, showcasing beetles, ants and bumblebees.

It comes at a time when pollinators and insects are facing continually increasing threats from climate change. Dr. Richard Reading, the Butter y Pavilion’s vice president of science and conservation, sounded the alarm.

“We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction on planet Earth, and this one is di erent than the rest in that it’s caused by one of nature’s own: people. And unfortunately, insects and invertebrates are not spared by this loss,” he said.

Reading said some are also calling this period time the insect apocalypse, pointing to some professionals that believe the planet lost 45% of pollinators in the last few centuries.

He emphasized the importance of pollinators to the environment and to humans. Creating soil, purifying water and pollinating food are among some of their ecosystem services, and said they create one out of every three bites of food people take.

He paraphrased a quote from a biologist.

“If people disappeared, the planet would quickly return to a state of normalcy, but if the invertebrates disappeared, if insects were to disappear, life, as we know it on this planet, would disappear altogether,” he said.

Increasing pollinators

But he also said he’s hopeful, as e orts by communities and the Butter y Pavilion are aiming to help, such as creating pollinator districts within cities and collecting data on butter y monitoring.

Amy Yarger, Director of Horticulture, said pollinator districts have seen increases in pollinators, and even small actions can make a di erence. Pollinator Palooza hopes to get more people involved.

“Some of the things that all of us can do, whether it’s planting a garden(or) putting out ower pots, can make an impact,” she said.

In an interview, Reis, Gov. Jared Polis’ husband, urged residents to talk to their city council members and county commissioners about planting native plants in their jurisdiction.

“ ere’s a tendency to plant nonnative like Kentucky Bluegrass, which is beautiful, it’s soft and looks pretty, but it’s not great for native wildlife,” he said.

Reis touted a bill he’s working on that’s moving its way through the legislature, which will limit the use of a group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. He said they’re toxic to pollinators.

Reis also said the legislature passed a bill for a pollinator license plate that generates funds toward pollinator conservation.

How community members can make their own impact and learn more about pollinators can be learned throughout the celebration at the Butter y Pavilion.

Cool Jazz for a Hot Summer Night in Northglenn

Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra to play Parsons

Theatre June 9

STAFF REPORT e CJRO Sextet will feature the music of Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and other iconic West Coast Jazz musicians of the time. e concert will be performed at Parsons eatre 1 E. Memorial Parkway Northglenn at 7:30 p.m. June 9.

Tickets are $22 - $25 and are available at the Colorado Jazz website or by calling the Parsons eatre Box O ce at 303 450-8888.

In the period following the end of WWII, jazz as an independent genre of music went through intense transformations. West Coast Jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. e West Coast Jazz cool school was more relaxed, melodic, and generally appealing to a broader audience than its East Coast counterpart. It was easily accessible to the public and received immense airplay on California radio stations and in clubs as the sound spread across the country. e Sextet is led by CJRO Artistic Director Drew Zaremba (Saxophone). He is joined by Remy LeBoeuf (Saxophone), Shawn Williams (Trumpet), Eric Gunnison (Keyboards), Gonzalo Teppa (Bass), Dru Heller (Drums) and Marion Powers on vocals.

Founded by bandleader Art Bouton in 2012 with a mission to perform the best music with the best musicians, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra features exciting world-renowned guest artists and many of the nest regional musicians. e ensemble has performed everything from rollicking big band classics to contemporary large and small ensemble jazz across Colorado.

Audiences at the Arvada Center, PACE Center in Parker, Lakewood Cultural Center, Lone Tree Arts Center, Parsons eatre in Northglenn and beyond have heard the CJRO perform music from Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Buddy Rich as well as original arrangements by CJRO composers and other artists. For more information including upcoming concerts, go to Coloradojazz.org