The incredibly complex global food production systems we’ve come to rely upon rely in part on pollinators. They’re animals that help plants reproduce by moving pollen from one flower to another, allowing plants to produce fruits, seeds, and new plants.
Most people think of bees when they hear the word pollinator — and there are more than 300 different kinds of bees just here in Florida so we’re not just talking about domesticated honey bees — but butterflies and moths, beetles, flies, bats and even some kinds of birds all do their part pollinating the plants around us.
About 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about 30% of crops rely on pollinators. Things like habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and invasive species are all threats to pollinator populations, which are truly essential for both ecological balance and food security.
On August 22-23 Floridians can do their part as citizen scientists to help researchers keep tabs on the health of pollinator populations by participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census.
To participate, during those two days you simply pick one or more plants in your yard that attract pollinators and watch them closely for 15 minutes and count each time an insect lands on the plant, and then upload that information into a database. Click here to find all the information about participating. Click here to find information about the Lee County count sites, or here to find the Lee County office Facebook page.
We learn about the census and how to participate, and about pollinators and how important it is to support them.
Guests:
Sheryl van der Heiden, Residential Horticulture Extension Agent with University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Lee County Extension office
Jen Hagen, Family and Consumer Sciences agent, also with IFAS’s Lee County Extension office
Jonael Bosques, Agriculture Agent and County Extension Director with the UF/IFAS Hardee County Extension office
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