From Flowers to Food: Celebrating Pollinators Week
Pollinating Nashville
National Pollinator Week 2024 is June 17 to 23, and we at the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps are so grateful for those busy little creatures! In this article, we’ll profile the bees, butterflies, and other wildlife species that move pollen from flower to flower and plant to plant. We’ll also share some information on a delightful Tennessee state program that manages pollinator environments along roadways, and we’ll provide some tips on what residents can do at home to create yards and gardens to attract pollinators.
What Is National Pollinator Week?
In 2007, the US Senate designated the first National Pollinator Week in mid-June to highlight and promote awareness and education of the ecological, economic, and agricultural importance of pollinating species populations and their habitats.
How Does Pollination Work?
Pollination is essential for environmental health because it’s the way plants reproduce. Trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers make up the foundational vegetation in our ecosystems, holding soil in place, transpiring moisture into the air, and providing shade, shelter, and nourishment for the entire food web, either directly or indirectly.
While some plants are pollinated by the wind, many rely on wildlife to move pollen from flower to flower. A flower attracts pollinators with its bright color and rich aroma, and it rewards visitors with nectar for energy and pollen for protein. These pollen particles are textured, sticky, and plentiful, and some will inevitably cling to the hairs of whichever pollinator visits the flower. The pollen then falls onto the next flower they stop at.
Who Are the Major Pollinators?
Bees and butterflies are the poster children of pollinators; however, there are many other wildlife species that do the serious work of transporting pollen, too! The major pollinators include:
Bees – All species of bees, generalist and specialized, are professional pollinators. Their bodies are covered in small hairs that catch pollen when they are rummaging around on a flower.
Butterflies and Moths – While less efficient than bees, butterflies, which feed during the day, and moths, which feed at night, are more active than their buzzing peers.
Other Flying Insects – Wasps, flies, and mosquitos, while not so desirable at an outdoor event or inside of the house, are all important pollinators as well.
Beetles – Beetles are also major pollinators; in fact, they were among the very first plant pollinators, even before flowers existed!
Birds – Nectar-eating birds that distribute pollen include hummingbirds and orioles.
Small Mammals – Many types of bats eat nectar, while other small mammals, like mice, also perform pollinating services.
What Foods Do Pollinators Pollinate?
Not only do our ecosystems rely on pollinators, but our food systems do as well! A long list of crops depend on pollination for the production of a robust yield of fruits and their seeds. According to the US Department of Agriculture, of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, including those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals.
More than 150 food crops in the US depend on pollinators, almost all of which are fruit and grain crops. This includes trees such as cherry, plum, apple, avocado, almond, cashew, and pistachio, as well as other seed-bearing crops like sunflowers, buckwheat, melons, onions, broccoli, cabbages, squash, cucumbers, and zucchini. Many of these plants have species-specialized pollinators. Of course, honey is produced directly by some of those pollinators—namely, the European honeybee!
What Challenges Do Pollinators Face?
The main challenges pollinators face today include:
Habitat loss
Widespread use of pesticides
Air and light pollution
Introduced parasites, diseases, and invasive species
Heat and weather stress related to climate change
Measures are increasingly being implemented to manage these stressors on pollinator populations, including increased education for awareness, habitat planting campaigns, institutional work at nature centers and universities, and steps being taken by property owners in their own yards and gardens.
Tennessee’s Commitment to Pollinators
NTCC’s own board chair, landscape architect Carol Ashworth, is working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation on their Pollinator Habitat Program, which plants and maintains pollinator habitat by state-maintained roadways, welcome centers, and rest stops. They also create informational resources like signs and videos to educate the public about the needs and benefits of pollinators.
Tennessee’s Pollinator Habitat Program won the 2023 North American Pollinator Protection Campaign roadside management award, which recognizes transportation agencies that are leading the way in pollinator-friendly practices.
Supporting Pollinator Habitats at Home
There are several things we can do as individuals to help support pollinator habitats at home.
Plant Gardens With Local Native Wildflowers – Check with your local garden center or nature organization about where to find seeds for local species. The Tennessee Pollinator Habitat Program’s initiative, Project Milkweed, gives out free milkweed seeds through their website (the milkweed is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs in; it’s an important native plant!) Be sure to plant lots of flowers, since bees and other pollinators like to browse many individuals!
Build Bee Condos in the Garden – Many species of wild bees don’t live in hives, but rather live in the soil, patches of vegetation, or small crevices in trees. Providing a man-made bee condo with many holes may attract some overnight visitors.
Provide Water for Pollinators in Birdbaths – Insects of all kinds will visit a birdbath for water! Put stones or glass marbles in the bird bath to provide stable places for them to land and not drown.
Let Your Lawn Grow – Mowing less and letting the lawn grow, or replacing a portion of the lawn with native grasses and flowers, can help provide more habitat for bees and other pollinators.
Avoid Pesticides – There’s often a natural solution to reduce pests in your yard. This might include planting plants that repel unwanted insects or attract desirable ones. Washing off pests or using neem oil might be preferable to a pesticide, but sometimes pesticides are needed to get a job done. In these cases, follow the directions carefully and avoid spraying directly on pollinators; contact a certified professional when in doubt.
Native blossoming trees can be included in the wildflower group to plant! Carol Ashworth provided us with a list of several pollinator-friendly flowering trees that we can plant around the city. Some of these trees include:
Any of these pollinator-friendly trees can be obtained for your own yard through NTCC’s tree sale! For volunteer opportunities with us, reach out through our website. And if you haven’t already, sign up for our email newsletter for regular information on Nashville’s canopy, brought to you by pollinators of all kinds!