birds

  It’s National Pollinator Week, the 13th consecutive year of bringing greater awareness to the critically important issue of pollinator conservation. Pollinator Partnership (P2) founded the initiative in 2007 which has now grown into an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles. Landmarks across the U.S. and Canada will be lit in pollinator colors (yellow and orange) while numerous virtual gatherings, webinars, responsible planting sessions, socially distant garden and farm walks will be held. To find activities in your area, click here. Here are some facts from P2: About 75% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators and over 200,000 species of animals act as pollinators. Of those, about 1,000 are hummingbirds, bats, and small mammals. The rest are insects such as beetles, bees, ants, wasps, butterflies, and moths. Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend. Foods and beverages produced with the help of pollinators include blueberries, chocolate, coffee, melons, peaches, pumpkins, vanilla, and almonds. P2 offers variety of free eco-regional pollinator friendly planting guides. Simply type in your zip code here to download gardening advice specific to your area. Here are some general tips: Habitat opportunities abound on every landscape – from window boxes to acres of farms to corporate campuses to utility and roadside corridors – every site can be habitat. Utilize plants native to your area (or ...