By Shekina Mullen
As they flutter through plant and flower blossoms, spreading pollen with every landing, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators quietly sustain healthy ecosystems, successful home vegetable gardens, and agricultural production.
Pollinators move pollen from one flower to the next, fertilizing and producing fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some plants are self-pollinating or wind-pollinated, but many rely on insects such as butterflies, bees, beetles, moths, wasps, flies, or animals like hummingbirds.
More than 150 crops in the U.S. benefit from pollinators, which contribute to about one-third of the food we consume every day. Among these, 500 native bee species are some of the environment’s most valuable pollinators. Illinois Extension’s Four Seasons Gardening webinar series invites viewers to learn more about native bees during pollinator week at go.illinois.edu/FourSeasonsGardening.
Many pollinator species populations are in decline from a loss of food sources and nesting habitats. Anyone can support pollinators by growing flowers that bloom from spring to fall, using integrated pest management practices that reduce or eliminate pesticide use, and limiting fall garden cleanup of fallen leaves and dead plant stems. To help community members take action, Extension’s Illinois Pollinators tool, available at go.illinois.edu/IllinoisPollinators, has expert recommendations on plants for pollinator gardens, plant design tips, community science opportunities, and more.
“People are looking to know more about pollinators and how to support their populations,” said Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, Extension horticulture educator. “By helping people help pollinators through growing native flowering plants everywhere from their backyard to roadsides, we hope to create more habitats across Illinois.”
Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist volunteers support 172 gardens statewide that provide food and habitat for pollinators. These projects include the Open Gate Garden in Madison County with native plants and educational signage, the Danville Public Library pollinator pocket enhancing community green spaces, and the Idea Garden in Kane County, providing tools and tips for creating home pollinator gardens.
To further address this issue, Extension began tracking “pollinator pockets” in 2016. To date, nearly 600 of these small community-based gardens have been reported by Illinois residents and others nationwide through the Pollinator Pocket website, go.illinois.edu/PollinatorPocket. Anyone can create and register a pollinator pocket garden.
“The incredible response from the community shows how individual actions can add to the larger effort to support pollinators. Each of these registered gardens helps sustain a healthy environment for pollinators and people”, said Horticulture Educator Ryan Pankau.
For questions on gardening and growing, connect with a local University of Illinois Extension office from the statewide map at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.
Shekina Mullen, media communications coordinator, Illinois Extension.
— University of Illinois Extension