By Sarah Schneekloth
When we see pretty butterflies and bees, we don’t think about how they are a crucial part of our environment. We see bugs as either nice to look at or something that needs to be removed from the area. But that’s not true. These insects are our main pollinators and without them our trees wouldn’t produce fruit, the flowers wouldn’t flourish, and the ecosystem would be in a major period of disruption. Knowing how to care for our pollinators and planting flowers that are good for them is one way that we can try to stop this from happening.
In Minnesota, the butterfly that we see the most of is the Monarch butterfly. Though this might change again in the coming years if the population of Monarch butterflies continues to decrease at such a rapid pace. According to the Endangered Species Coalition, the population of Monarch butterflies in the west has decreased by 99% between the 1980s and 2020. The same is happening to the Monarch butterflies on the east of the U.S. where it has decreased by 80% in the same time frame. There are multiple factors that are impacting the decline in the population: Habitat loss for breeding, migration, and overwintering along with the use of chemicals that control insects and weed growth.
The insecticides that are the most harmful to pollinators are the group called neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides that target the nervous system of insects and to a much lesser extent mammals. They are also the most popular insecticide currently used in North America in both urban landscaping and on farms. These insecticides run into the water and soil and are picked up by the plants. This affects the habitats and food sources of many of our insect pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Other factors that change habitats and ecosystems are urbanization and the loss of native wildflowers. When humans spread out too far and start to impact lands that have been left untouched for years, the animals don’t know how to adapt right away. This leads to a lower population until they learn to adapt or resources are made available for them in the cities. Providing flowers or keeping a green area that the pollinators can visit will not only increase their habitat but will also beautify the city and the surrounding areas. According to Pollinator Partnership, some planting techniques that make the flowers easier to find for these pollinators are: to use window boxes, to plant in clumps to make them a target, to plant for a continued bloom from spring to fall, and to keep the area protected from harsh wind and sun.
As mentioned above, the loss of native wildflowers and plants is also something that impacts the ecosystem. When invasive species or non-native ones start growing in places with these native plants, they take away resources that the native ones need to survive. When the native plants start disappearing from the areas, the pollinators that rely on them do too. The native plants also help reduce soil erosion in areas because their root systems are built for the specific soil and are able to dig in and anchor down. Some of the most common Minnesotan wildflowers that are good for pollinators are: milkweed, the purple coneflower, little bluestem, aster, and many varieties of prairie clover.
When talking about conservation of our wildlands and native pollinators we can’t forget the many people that have put part of their lives into doing what is best for the world. Whether they be beekeepers, conservation workers, farmers that set aside CRP fields, or just anyone that plants a garden and leaves it open for pollinators. Each person has contributed and that should be taken into account. You don’t need to do something big to make a change. Small things matter too.
Sarah Schneekloth is a Mabel-Canton High School student, one of 15 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 26th year.
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