Do you enjoy biting into that crisp red apple or that sweet strawberry? I know I do. There are many species of flowering plants that produce a fruit, nut, or vegetable that require a pollinator to pollinate that flower to produce the fruit. 

Or, maybe you enjoy drinking your morning coffee on the porch while listening to our songbirds! A large portion of songbird diets are a variety of insects. Our local pollinators include beetles, flies, butterflies, moths, bees, bats, and hummingbirds. Like all species, they all require resources to survive like shelter, food, and water. 

Here at The Wilds, we plant prairies that include a diverse mixture of native forbs that feed our pollinators. We eradicate invasive species that encroach into these prairies with burning, mowing, and herbicide treatments. Invasive species on the landscape are problematic because they push out our native plants and form a monoculture. We want diversity to provide each pollinator species with the flower shape they need to feed...having a monoculture of one species, whether native or non-native, is not feasible in the landscape if you have a pest or disease that could wipe the whole stand out. You, and your backyard wildlife, could be left with nothing. 

Within your landscape or in your community, you can focus on helping all pollinators or our listed species that are declining that can be found on ODNR Division of Wildlife website.

You can help them in a variety of ways, including:

• Planting a diverse native pollinator garden in your backyard
• Take part in a citizen science project
• Reduce insecticides within your garden or fruiting trees
• Spread the word to neighbors and include the family
• Donate to organizations that are active in pollinator research, plantings, or education
• Adjust your mowing practices based off flowering periods
• Offer watering sources
• Leave plant stems, stalks, leaves, etc. to provide nesting structures thru the winter

I challenge you to take action with one or more of these ways to contribute to our Ohio pollinators. This will not only help our pollinators survive but have the potential to thrive if we all contribute. This will also help you, in return, by eating the produce that you love or listening to that bird’s sweet melody while enjoying all the beautiful blooms our native species provide.