Pollinators are essential in maintaining the delicate balance of our planet’s health and well-being, helping to fertilize plants to ensure they can reproduce and continue to thrive. Unfortunately, many pollinator populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and other human-caused factors. As gardeners and homeowners, we can make such a difference by creating habitats that support a diversity of pollinators in our yards and gardens.
Most dictionary definitions of pollinator will only mention classic insects such as bees and butterflies, but there is in fact a range of animals who actively contribute to this vital process. The entire human world relies on the constant and involuntary actions of hundreds of crucially important species for the health and sustainability of many of our industries, which in turn aid in our comfort and survival.
We need pollination to maintain our food and drink supply: crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains must undergo pollination to produce a harvest; in horticulture, the production of ornamental plants like roses, lilies, grasses, ferns, and all manner of other plants for landscaping reply on pollination; many of our medicines come from plants; we use trees for building materials, furniture, assisting with transport locomotion, fuel for our homes to stay warm and dry.
Share:
Bird Bath Do’s and Don’ts
Why Birds Matter