Hope for Wisconsin Pollinators
LIZ WEST
-Jay Watson
Wisconsin is the country’s top exporter of cranberries, which are pollinated by bees.
Our morning cup of coffee, the cotton found in our clothes, honey used in lotions and makeup, alfalfa that is fed to livestock who then in turn create dairy products – the ripple effect of a world without pollinators goes far beyond the produce section. In some parts of the world where human labor is cheaper than renting bees, farmers have taken to the time intensive and painstaking process of hand pollination in response to pollinator decline. Technology-driven solutions are also being considered, with robotic bee drones or “RoboBees” first introduced by Harvard University researchers in 2013, and patents for “pollination drones” filed by multinational retail corporation Walmart in 2018. In Watson’s opinion these are not viable solutions. “Aside from being an expensive Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
BRUCE BARTEL
One in three mouthfuls of food and drink we consume is dependent on the work of pollinators.
individuals, to schools, to businesses, to farmers,” she shares. “Our small actions, combined together, can make a significant difference for the future of Wisconsin pollinators.”
National, state, and local agencies and organizations are working together to recover pollinator populations, from planting milkweed and prairie strips on agricultural land to developing pesticide policies that are better for pollinators. Efforts in Wisconsin have ramped up as well, notably through the development of the Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Plan in 2015 that provides recommendations on how everyone, from homeowners to beekeepers, can help out. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin is also taking action on multiple fronts. In 2017 the Foundation joined the Monarch Joint Venture, a collaborative effort with more than 50 partners working on monarch conservation throughout the country. “We also support pollinators through our grant programs, like helping schools build pollinator gardens through our Go Outside grants, and through our Field Trip Program,” says Caitlin Williamson, Director of Conservation Programs for the Foundation. Most recently, the Foundation received a $500,000 gift, the largest outright donation in the history of the organization, to establish the Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Fund that will support statewide pollinator recovery efforts through outreach, research, and habitat restoration (see page 8). Williamson agrees that achieving pollinator conservation goals will require an “all hands on deck” approach, which gives her hope. “The great thing about pollinators is that everyone can get involved, from
How You Can Help
• C onsult the Wisconsin Pollinator
Protection Plan for a comprehensive guide on how you can help.
• G arden with native wildflowers and
milkweed. A variety of native species that bloom at different times through the year gives pollinators important food sources, and milkweed is the only plant monarchs will use to lay their eggs.
• M inimize (or eliminate) the use of
pesticides and herbicides. Pesticides are harmful or deadly to pollinators, and herbicides may kill the plants they rely on.
• P rovide nesting sites. Many bees nest in the ground. Leave a section of your yard unmulched or undisturbed, with logs, branches, or bare earth.
• “Bee” Aware! Be cautious of products
like “bug boxes” or “bee hotels” you can buy online or in stores, which can actually do more harm than good.
• B ecome a citizen-scientist. Help collect data about pollinators with Journey North, the Bumble Bee Brigade, or the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project.
• S upport the Wisconsin Pollinator
Protection Fund (see page 8). Type “WI Pollinator Protection Fund” under the “Donate to Endowed Fund” text field when you make your gift online.
www.WisConservation.org/donate BRIDGES/SUMMER 2019
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alternative, we simply cannot replace the work done by natural pollinators who have adapted over time to efficiently and effectively pollinate plants in ways we could never come close to replicating.” He also emphasizes that while pollinators are critical to our agricultural crops, they are equally important to the health of our natural communities, including Wisconsin’s 687 designated State Natural Areas that are home to the majority of Wisconsin’s endangered and threatened species, as well as species of special concern.
species are dependent on pollinators for reproduction. “One in three mouthfuls of food and drink we consume is dependent on the work of pollinators,” says DNR Conservation Biologist Jay Watson. “Wisconsin pollinator-dependent crops including apples, cherries, green beans, cucumbers, and cranberries account for over $55 million in annual production, as well as an estimated $3.5 million in annual honey and beeswax production,” he shares.