SIDNEY – Shelby Soil & Water Conservation District (Shelby SWCD) is working to help pollinators in Shelby County and they hope you will join them. From planting pollinator plots to educating children about the importance of pollinators there are many ways Shelby SWCD is hoping to “spread the word” and help the animals that “spread pollen.”
Pollinators are animals that transfer pollen from male to female flower parts (pollination). Bees and butterflies are commonly known examples of pollinators, but birds, bats, and many other insects are as well. With adequate pollination, flowering plants can produce enough seeds for dispersal and propagation; maintain genetic diversity; and develop fruits that promote seed dispersal. About 80% of crops require pollination. Pollination of agricultural crops is valued at about 10 billion dollars in the United States annually. It can’t be overstated; we cannot live without pollinators.
However, despite the essential nature of pollinators their populations have been declining. Causes of this decline likely include loss of habitat (places to find food, water and shelter; use of pesticides; and spread of diseases that affect pollinators. To help increase populations of pollinators people can plant native flowering plants that provide habitat for pollinators (as well as many other benefits) in their landscapes and yards. This can range from including native plants in small, landscaped areas to converting a large, grassed area to a native wildflower field. Avoiding pesticides in yards and landscapes will prevent pollinators from being impacted by those chemicals. Using native plants usually decreases the need for pesticides. If pesticides must be used, applying them at times when butterflies and bees are not active can help lessen the damage to pollinators. Shelby SWCD aims to make more people aware of the importance of pollinators, spread awareness of how people can support pollinator populations and create more habitat in Shelby County for pollinators.
In April, Amanda Hurley, the Education & Outreach Coordinator at Shelby SWCD, will be teaching about butterflies at Conservation Storytimes at multiple Shelby County Libraries locations (open to the public), Fort Loramie Elementary School and Care-a-Lot Preschool in Botkins. Hurley will also be sharing the importance of pollinators at the Amos Memorial Public Library’s Annual Tea Party on April 20th (open to the public, registration required). To find out more about these events, visit www.shelbyswcd.org and www.shelbycountylibraries.org.
On Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m., Shelby SWCD welcomes Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative for a workshop at Amos Memorial Public Library to talk about an exciting new program called, “Won’t You BEE My Neighbor.” This program focuses on increasing pollinator habitat in landscapes and yards in Ohio. The workshop will be free, open to the public and no registration required. Shelby SWCD hopes to have native plants available for purchase at this workshop but details about this are not finalized currently.
Throughout the year, Shelby SWCD will be distributing milkweed seeds. These seeds are collected annually in collaboration with the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative by Shelby SWCD and many other county soil & water districts throughout the state. Once the seeds are collected, they are processed, cold stratified, sorted and redistributed to local soil & water districts. Milkweed is a host plant for Monarch caterpillars. Adding more milkweed in Shelby County will help Monarch butterflies.
Along with OSU Extension Shelby County Office, Shelby County Master Gardeners and Shelby County Libraries, Shelby SWCD planted multiple pollinator plots last year through the Plant By Numbers program offered by Ohio State University. These plots can be seen at the Shelby County OSU Extension office (810 Fair Road) and at Amos Memorial Public Library (230 E. North Street) in Sidney. There are plans for more plots to be planted in Shelby County this summer through the Plant by Numbers Program. The Plant by Numbers program makes it simple to incorporate pollinator friendly areas into landscapes.
There are also federal programs such as Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Reserve Program, that provides financial and technical assistance to help private landowners increase pollinator habitat on their land. Contact Justin Wagner, Natural Resources Conservation Services District Conservationist at 937-419-2590 for more information on these programs.
If you want more information about how you can help pollinators visit: https://www.ohiopollinator.org/, https://u.osu.edu/plantbynumbers/, and/or https://www.pollinator.org/. If you have questions about large land projects to help pollinators that may qualify for cost share programs, contact Shelby SWCD office 937-492-6520. If you have questions about specific events mentioned in this article, contact Hurley at [email protected] or 937-419-2597.
