Birds, butterflies, more contribute

Pollen may easily come off as only an allergen that busies the nose every other season to humans, but to the rest of the world, it serves the integral purpose of bringing life and fertility to all the green that surrounds us. The unsung heroes helping to aid this purpose are none other than the pollinators. These are birds, bees, butterflies, bats, and even animals that start with other letters—responsible for spreading pollen and instigating plant growth. June serves as their celebration through National Pollinators’ Month.

According to lsuagcenter.com, National Pollinators Month is a celebration of the valuable ecosystem services that pollinators provide to plants. “Native pollinators pollinate more than 75% of the world’s flowering plants, including our fruits, nuts and vegetables,” and some plants and insects have even coevolved into highly specialized partnerships that require the other for pollination.

Unfortunately, pollinator populations have had a history of decline that continues in recent times. Nwf.org informs that pollinators worldwide are “losing numbers to threats like pesticide poisoning, habitat loss, and disease.” Bees are among the most numerous and effective pollinators, and their population loss in particular poses a big risk to both our agricultural system and the ecosystem that supports other wildlife. Lsuagcenter.com also adds the concerning decline with some butterfly species like the monarch butterfly in addition to the honeybees.

Observing National Pollinators Month this June does a great service to our pollinators by introducing food and habitat for them. Ways we can provide these in our locale are by:

• Building a pollinator garden.
• Choosing bright flowers to attract pollinators.
• Planting seasonally.
• Planting non-invasive plant species.
• Installing bird feeders.
• Building butterfly boxes and bird houses.

Wildflowers and brightly-colored shrubs not only provide for an attractive backyard sight, but they also serve as a welcoming ground for buzzing, humming, and fluttering pollinators to feed nectar and spread pollen from. Doing our part to understand and preserve the relationship our ecosystem balances on not only helps the environment but also gives us food to put on the table. National Pollinators Month is a great reminder of that, encouraging us to plant and provide as much as we can.