While some pollinator-friendly legislation--like a measure to establish the rusty-patched bumblebee as the state bee--is moving in the legislature, local communities are also working to protect pollinators.
Take Steele County's Owatonna. On Tuesday, Ryan Anderson reported in OHS and NRHEG receive grants to establish habitats for pollinators:
Owatonna and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva high schools are among 10 Minnesota schools to be awarded grants to establish habitats for imperiled insect pollinators and monarch butterflies.
The pollinator habitat grants were awarded by the Sand County Foundation and [solar energy company] Enel Green Power North America, Inc., to Minnesota agricultural and science educators, according to the Sand County Foundation. Each grant recipient will receive native wildflower seedlings, a training webinar and consultation, and a $1,000 grant for the school district or FFA chapter to offset project expenses.
OHS will use that $1,000 to purchase planting equipment, like a tiller, for the wildflowers, said Liz Tinaglia, OHS Ag teacher. Remaining funds will be utilized to purchase soil and containers, so “we’ll keep it all in the greenhouse.” . . .
The pollinator habitat grant at OHS comes at a felicitous moment considering the city council passed a Pollinator Friendly resolution earlier this month, the 40th city in the state to do so. With the Pollinator Friendly resolution, the city will make efforts to provide and maintain vegetation on city property in a fiscally-responsible manner that considers the health of people, plants, and pollinators. Furthermore, the city will limit the use of systematic pesticides that have a deleterious impact on pollinators.
Minnesota is among the top states in addressing concerns about bee and butterfly populations, according to a recent study by Damon Hall, an assistant professor at Missouri State University. Minnesota has set up programs both to fund pollinator research and to increase pollinator habitat, among other efforts. . . .
According to the Sand County Foundation, the ten schools that received pollinator grants this year are:
The schools selected are:
- Central High School, Norwood Young America (Carver County)
- Chisago Lakes High School, Lindstrom (Chisago County)
- DREAM Technical Academy, Willmar (Kandiyohi County)
- New London-Spicer, New London (Kandiyohi County)
- Rosa Parks Charter High School, Rochester (Olmstead County)
- Owatonna High School, Owatonna (Steele County)
- NRHEG High School, New Richland (Steele and Waseca counties)
- Buffalo High School, Buffalo (Wright County)
- Dassel-Cokato High School, Cokato (Wright County)
- Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy, Maple Lake (Wright County)
“Our objective is to engage students in adding native wildflower diversity to rural areas for the benefit of pollinators and Monarch butterflies,” said Craig Ficenec, Sand County Foundation program director. “Pollinators are essential for crop pollination and ecological diversity, but the numbers of wild bees and monarch butterflies have dropped, partly because of the loss of native wildflower habitat near farmland.”
To qualify for the grants, the schools needed greenhouses or suitable indoor growing areas to raise the nearly 600 seedlings of milkweed, prairie blazing star, wild bergamot, and other species they will receive in March. They were also required to identify a rural area (preferably a farm) where they will transplant these native wildflowers in the spring, and tend to them through the summer.
In early March the Owatonna People's Press's Annie Granlund reported in Owatonna designated as Pollinator Friendly City:
The citizens of Owatonna can “bee” proud of their community as the city has been officially designated as Pollinator Friendly.
During Tuesday night’s Owatonna City Council regular meeting, the council members unanimously passed the resolution to protect pollinators which includes, but not limited to, bees and butterflies. The action makes Owatonna that 40th city in Minnesota to have passed a pollinator resolution.
Pollinator habitat has declined for many reasons, including urban development and more intensive agriculture that focuses on corn and soybean production. This means fewer areas with flowering plants to provide the food bees and butterflies need to survive. . . .
The topic was originally discussed with the Owatonna City Council in January during a study session with a presentation from University of Minnesota Extension educator Claire LaCanne. During the presentation, LaCanne discussed the importance of supporting pollinators and their natural habitats with native pollinator friendly plants throughout the city.
“We had received a request from the public to consider naming the city as pollinator friendly,” said City Administrator Kris Busse. “We had the study session, staff reviewed it, we talked about it during the study session and it was decided that we wanted to move forward.”
In the resolution, it stated that the city would continue to make efforts in providing and maintaining vegetation on city property in a fiscally responsible manner that considers the health of people, plants, and pollinators. It also reads that the city shall limit the use of systemic pesticides such as neonicotinoids, which may negatively affect pollinators. . . .
Photo: A rusty-patched bumble bee digging into some wild bergamot, a pollinator favorite; schools selected for the program will receive bergamot and other pollinator-friendly seedlings. Image via Xerces Society.
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