REGION – Our pollinators are facing a lot of challenges, but you don’t need a yard to help them. Whether it’s a backyard patio, an apartment balcony or even a high-rise roof, you can create a little slice of heaven by planting native wildflowers to give our insect neighbors a boost. If you have land, consider planting a pollinator garden or pollinator habitat strips, especially if you have a farm.
Pollinators – moths, wasps, bees and butterflies, to name a few – are incredibly important to our ecosystem. In fact, many of them are keystone species, meaning they help define the entire ecosystem. Without them, that system would be drastically different or cease to exist altogether. We rely on them for agriculture, food and a healthy environment.
Many important pollinators, like the Karner blue butterfly, the rusty patched bumblebee and the monarch butterfly, are facing extinction due to habitat destruction, climate change, pollution and pesticide use. Other pollinators, such as bats and birds, are suffering from diseases, climate disruption and habitat loss. Building and maintaining habitat can help keep these important species from going extinct.
Check out the Xerces Society plant lists, MSU’s native plants and ecosystem services, MSU’s pollinator resources or find your local conservation district for resources, guidance, seeds and plants.
