Giving Tuesday: This is how you can save bees and butterflies from the abyss

CNN
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On Giving Tuesday you can support Mother Nature in the fight for survival. Pollinators, which provide one in three bites of our food, are struggling. Five species of butterflies in the United States have become extinct since 1950, and dozens more face extinction, according to the Xerces Society for Inscribed Conservation.

“There are 30% fewer butterflies flying around your garden, farm and natural areas than there were 20 years ago,” says Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society. The monarch butterfly is in steep decline, having lost about 90% of its population in North America since the 1990s.

The bees aren’t doing any better. According to a report from the National Academy of Sciences, more than a quarter of North American bumblebees are at risk of extinction, with both bees and butterflies declining by a shocking 1 to 2% annually.

“Will we have the crops we need to feed ourselves?” asks Black: “It’s a very serious problem.”

According to scientists, climate change, habitat loss and the use of pesticides are primarily responsible. “It’s sort of this trifecta of threats that is really depressing pollinator populations,” Black warns. But all is not lost yet.

“Everyone can help, no matter how big or small their landscape is – whether you live in a tiny backyard, are a farmer, or run a parks department,” Black says. “You can really make significant changes for pollinators.”

Nonprofit organizations like the Xerces Society and Pollinator Partnership work with farmers, businesses, individuals and governments. They raise awareness of the effects of pesticides on pollinators and promote more environmentally friendly approaches to pest control. The groups also promote the sowing of native plants that attract pollinating animals in agricultural fields, roadsides, parks and gardens.

With so many pollinating species facing an ecological tipping point, these nonprofits and the others listed here need your donations to educate the public. Educational programs offered by Pollinator Partnership include: the Bee Smart School Garden Kit, an online planting guide called “Bee Friendly Gardening,” and Project Wingspan. The Xerces Society operates the Bee City USA program and the Pollinator Protection Pledge to empower cities and individuals and promote the flourishing of nature’s pollinators.

If you would like to donate to pollinator charities below, click Here.

But donations alone won’t solve the problem, says Black. He recommends turning your garden into a welcoming place for butterflies, bees, beetles and birds.

Plant and they will come (even in winter)

Plant native wildflowers in your garden. “Contrary to popular belief, fall and winter can actually be a good time for planting and starting seeds,” says Kelly Bills, executive director of Pollinator Partnership.

Not only will these flowers bring you joy all year round; Native wildflowers are the best source of food and shelter for pollinators like bees and butterflies. If you plant flowers that are native to your area, they will thrive with less water and less care.

“It doesn’t matter that it’s cold as long as you can dig holes, get into the soil and get the plants established before a hard frost hits,” Bills says.

Some gardeners throw flower seeds on the snow, Black says. “These seeds go straight down and just become firmly attached to the soil. The water just pulls them down.”

Xerces and Pollinator Partnership offer growing guides that show you what to plant in your area based on your zip code, what colors you like, and what pollinators you like. They also recommend planting different species – some blooming in early spring, others in fall, so that wildlife has a food source year-round, especially during migration when they need a lot of energy.

Bills planted salvia, mint, monkeyflower and California poppy in her own wildflower garden this fall. “Salvias for butterflies and hummingbirds and anything in the mint family that pollinators love.”

Just having lawns doesn’t help wildlife much. “Put some flowers in there and see what they become,” Black urges. “You have the beauty of the flowers and then you start to see how the butterflies and bees interact with those flowers. It’s actually magical.”

Fallen leaves are an ideal nesting place for native bees, moths and butterflies. “It’s basically a place where they can hide and survive the winter until spring,” Bills said.

Leaving leaves behind doesn’t mean leaving four inches of leaves on your lawn.

“Maybe you can just thin them out and leave them in some parts of your garden. “You’re really going to get those nutrients filtered back into your soil, which will help your grass through the spring and summer,” says Bills.

“Many caterpillars get into the leaf litter. That’s why it’s better to rake them instead of shredding them,” adds Black.

You can also rake these leaves from your grass onto your garden beds, where they will help build soil.

Likewise, leaving at least some bare ground (no grass or flowers) provides another nesting site for native bees, says Bills.

You can help the bees by cutting off the dead flower heads and leaving the stems standing.

“A lot of these stems get hollowed out and pitted, and the bees actually hibernate in them over the winter,” Bills says.

If you can’t stand the look of stems without flower heads, you can bundle cut stems and leave them at the edge of the garden as nesting sites. Ecologists also recommend leaving some fallen branches and logs behind, if possible, so that pollinators such as beetles and bees can overwinter.

A little clutter goes a long way toward helping living things in an increasingly man-made world.

“We tend to live our lives and build our communities in a way that excludes habitat for these animals,” Black says. “We have 40 million acres of lawns in the United States, and turf grass offers nothing for virtually any animal.”

Pesticides and weed killers may kill anything you don’t want in your garden, but they also kill beneficial insects. According to Black, it is a leading cause of insect and pollinator deaths.

For homeowners, “Pesticides are mostly used for cosmetic purposes.” They are used to make your garden perfect. Do we need these perfect landscapes? I would say no,” Black says.

You should be able to control pests using non-chemical methods, such as planting native plants that not only attract bees and butterflies, but also attract the pests’ natural enemies.

Native wildflowers, mulches and rotten tree trunks attract ladybugs and hoverfly larvae, which are natural enemies of the crop-destroying aphids, Bills says.

Lawns are difficult to maintain, require a lot of water and toxic herbicides to look good, and don’t do much for wildlife, Black says. Conservationists concerned about species extinction suggest devoting a small portion of your lawn to native wildflowers at a time because they are easier to maintain than lawns. “Take part of your garden and give it back to wildlife,” Black urges.

Your neighbors may wonder why you’re digging up grass and replacing it with wildflowers. You can use garden signs to show that you are helping bees and butterflies. These garden signs, along with planting instructions, are available from many pollinator charity memberships. “Pollinator signs, no pesticides, signs that say ‘leave the leaves’ – that’s incredible education,” Black says.

You’ll be surprised at the impact you have, especially in your own neighborhood. “Your little spot is meaningful in its own right, but if we can get 100, 1,000, 10,000 in your community to do the same thing, then that’s incredible.”

You can also get involved in seed collection and restoration projects to develop habitats in your area. Pollinator Partnership’s Project Wingspan program trains citizens in the Midwest and Great Lakes region to collect and identify seeds. Volunteers learn to clean seeds and redistribute them in areas that need more habitat for the endangered monarch butterfly and rusty spotted bumblebee. The nonprofit organization works to improve and create 18,000 acres of habitat.

Xerces’ Bumblebee Watch and Bumblebee Atlas train volunteers to identify bumblebees in their area and submit images. “This helps us find out where rare and declining bumblebees live so we can help authorities allocate resources to them,” Black says.

Try to buy food from farmers who grow their produce in a way that preserves butterflies and bees.

Xerces certifies foods that are grown sustainably while maximizing plant health with the “Bee Better Certified” seal, found on everything from blueberries to almond milk.

“When consumers voice the demand that they want food and products from bee-friendly farms, that can be a big help in getting other farmers on board,” says Bills.

You can also save your wallet by purchasing organic products that prevent pesticides from entering the food chain.

“There are so many actions you can take in your own life that will both help pollinators and enrich where you live,” says Bills.