Little big things

We live in an increasingly complex world where many decisions that affect us are made by others, often far away, and where industry happens on a scale that is more colossal than most of us are aware of. Against this backdrop, it may sound silly to suggest that it doesn’t take much to make a difference, yet it’s true. It has to do with the power of the individual and what happens when that power is multiplied. In this same complex world it’s now possible to communicate with people around the globe in just a matter of minutes, even seconds. Each of us has the capacity to have real impact.

I’m mentioning this because this week (June 19-26) is the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Pollinator Week. This is the third-year anniversary of the launch of the NWF’s Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, a national initiative to “bring back the bees.” The goal of the campaign is to register a million public/private gardens and landscapes to support pollinators.

According to The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge (http://millionpollinatorgardens.org/), “Pollinators are responsible for 1 out of 3 bites of food we take each day, and yet pollinators are at critical point in their own survival ... We know for certain ... that more nectar and pollen sources provided by more flowering plants and trees will help improve their health and numbers. Increasing the number of pollinator-friendly gardens and landscapes will help revive the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators across the country.”

The NWF offers six ways to benefit pollinators on your property:

• Plant a pollinator garden. Any size is great, from window boxes and home gardens to roadsides and meadows.

• Support pollinator-friendly businesses — both locally and online you can find nurseries, garden centers, and seed suppliers who offer pollinatorfriendly plants and seeds suited to your local area.

• Plant sustainably: reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides, conserve water.

• Register your garden to BEE counted. (The registration fee supports the work of the NWF. ) • Keep an eye out for free seeds • Spread the word According to the NWF, pollinator gardens should:

• use plants that provide nectar and pollen sources • provide a water source, • be situated in sunny areas with wind breaks • create large “pollinator targets” of native or non-invasive plants

• establish continuous bloom throughout the growing season

• eliminate or minimize the impact of pesticides

Why should we plant pollinator-friendly plants? The answer lies partly in the fact that much of our suburban landscape is a desert for pollinators. Many ornamental plants don’t provide pollen and nectar that our pollinators can use/feed on.

Imagine moving into a new neighborhood. The grocery store looks nice, has plenty of parking, and there are mouth-watering photos of all different kinds of foods covering the windows. In eager anticipation, you enter the store, only to find that the shelves are empty.

Maybe the store isn’t actually open for business yet? You go back the next day, but still there’s no food inside. You could wait and try again, but by this time you’re really hungry. If this were your only source for food, you would have to move or face starvation. This empty grocery store is the metaphor that comes to my mind when I think of plants that do not provide any food for pollinators.

I’m not advocating for never growing a nonnative plant, and there may be places where it’s desirable to not attract bees, such as on a porch or patio, or adjacent to a children’s play area. But there are so many options for beautiful, native plants. Search online, visit a local nursery, and let’s get planting! And register your pollinator garden with the NWF.

Information and quotes from http://millionpollinatorgardens.org/