Pollinators are all the buzz

Volunteers in the Vermillion River Watershed have done great work to restore critical habitat to an essential ecological group – pollinators. Pollinators, such as bees, birds, bats, butterflies, moths, and beetles, move pollen from flower to flower. The transfer of pollen among flowers of the same species leads to fertilization, allowing the plants to produce seeds and fruits. In recent years, diseases, pesticides, and loss of habitat have placed stress on pollinators. In the U.S., pollination by honey bees, native bees, and other insects produces $40 billion worth of food products annually, including apples, blueberries, coffee, melons, peaches, potatoes and more.

The Vermillion Stewards (coordinated by Friends of the Mississippi River), Hastings Environmental Protectors (HEP), and the City of Hastings have installed pollinator patches in three city parks: Cari, Greten, and C.P. Adams. By planting patches of native species that attract pollinators in a number of locations, volunteers ensured that pollinators can travel far and wide to forage for food. HEP developed plans and secured funding to plant the pollinator patches, which are both beneficial and beautiful.

And do they work?

“I found a monarch larvae on one of the small milkweeds we planted,” says HEP’s Phil Vieth.

Meanwhile, on the western side of the watershed, the Rotary Club of Lakeville teamed up with the City of Lakeville to apply for a $5,000 VRWJPO Stewardship Grant to help install a pollinator garden in Valley Lake Park. The city staff did initial site preparation, contract administration, educational signage, and long-term maintenance of the garden. The Rotary Club of Lakeville coordinated 15-20 volunteers to plant native species and install mulch paths. The garden provides a perfect field experience for students from nearby Parkview Elementary School, who learn about pollinators from their teachers and the educational sign and the “bug motel” installed by the city.