
After a day of errands in Watertown and Sisseton, Bluestem thought we'd explore recent coverage of pollinators in Minnesota's media.
Perhaps the most surprising--or not surprising at all when we think about it--discovery is the common coverage of pollinator concern across the state.
For instance, the Osakis Review ran copy from Todd County Soil and Water Conservation District in Don't forget about the bees:
Birds and deer are often the objective as to why a landowner seeks out a conservation planting on their property. On top of species specific wildlife, soil, and water benefits, we can often forget about species such as bees and pollinators. We must consider these species when deciding what to do.
The benefits of bee and pollinator conservation plantings go beyond just the benefits of pollination. The plantings often include an array of native wildflowers that showcase wonderful aesthetics.
Seed mixes also include a few species of native grasses and the combination of wildflowers and grasses make excellent brood rearing sites for upland birds and provide great birthing habitat for deer and other mammals. The dense stands of grasses and wildflowers are great cover for game animals in the fall and often pose as hunting and wildlife viewing hot spots.
Pollinator plantings will also provide many additional benefits to the soil health and water quality of the site and surrounding areas. . . .
No arguing about that. The Moose Lake Star Gazette also ran copy from the county SWCD in Carlton SWCD: A great return on your investment, that included this moment of recognition:
Last, but not least, Carlton SWCD recognized four individuals or families in 2018 for the conservation work they have done in the county. Honored were Steve Risacher, of Wright, as Soil Health Conservationist; Bob Nelson, of Cloquet, as Urban Forestry Conservationist; Vicki and Terry Anderson, of Cloquet, as Pollinator Conservationists; and Alan Finifrock, of Cloquet, as Outstanding Conservationist. . . .
Over in Crookston, outdoors columnist Blane Klemek writes in Did you know Minnesota has a state bee?:
Minnesota, like all states, has a number of state symbols that most every Minnesotan are aware of. We’re the only state that has adopted the common loon as our state bird. We also have a state fish (walleye), a state tree (red pine), a state butterfly (monarch), a state drink (milk), a state muffin (blueberry), a state grain (wild rice), and a state flower (showy lady’s slipper).
There are other symbols, too, including some proposals for others symbols not yet officially adopted. But we can now add one more state symbol to the official list. Meet Minnesota’s newest member of an exclusive list of officially recognized state symbols—the rusty patched bumble bee, Minnesota’s state bee.
Other than the status such recognition grants, the official adoption of the rusty patched bumble bee as our state bee serves the dual purpose of calling attention to a species in perilous decline. In fact, the species is endangered. According to the United Sates Fish and Wildlife Service and recent Minnesota Public Radio story, the rusty patched bumble bee’s historical range has been diminished by some 90%. Only ten states are known to harbor the endangered bee, with Minnesota containing the bulk of the species’ remaining range.
The rusty patched bumble bee is a beautiful bee. Sadly, it’s the first, but hopefully the last, bee that’s been placed on the endangered species list in the U.S.′ Lower 48. Typical of bumble bees with alternating colors of yellow and black, the rusty patched bumble bee’s diagnostic feature is the small rust-colored “patch” located on the top of its abdomen. An important pollinator, as all bees are, it’s not understood why this species, once very common, is now endangered. Most experts agree that pesticides, habitat loss, and disease are primary reasons.
Surprisingly, especially when one considers the previous sentence, most populations of the rusty patched bumble occur in urban areas such as the Twin Cities, Iowa City, Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. Moreover, a significant number of observations of the endangered bumble bee over this past year have come from the Twin Cities. Scientists speculate that because of the abundance of homeowner flower gardens in these high population centers could be a factor favoring rusty patched bumble bees.
My personal relationship and interest of insects, especially bumble bees, goes back to my childhood. Interest was piqued when I enrolled in a graduate level entomology course at the University of North Dakota many years later. And again, this spring, as I began studying bumble bees in my own backyard.
Indeed, on one recent and glorious spring weekend when the sun was shining both days and my dandelion infested lawn was brilliant yellow and full of activity from pollinating and nectar-gathering insects, including bumble bees, I began looking closer to what I was actually observing. I mean real close.
I positively identified four different species of bumble bees that included the American, tri-colored, common eastern, and two-spotted bumble bees. I also identified a species of mason bee, which I watched building its mud nests in one of the hollow bamboo shoots of the bee house I mounted next to my house last spring.
So what can we do to attract more bees to our properties? Habitat is key, but so is limiting the use of pesticides. During this past legislative session when Governor Walz signed into law the official status of the rusty patched bumble bee, other legislation passed and signed was a grant program that sets aside $900,000 to provide cost-share assistance to qualifying homeowners to incorporate pollinator habitat to their properties.
The program, called “Lawns to Legumes”, while not currently up and running, will be available for applications in the coming months by the Board of Water Resources (BWSR). A quick check online details the program, but asks visitors to check the webpage for updates as the program is further developed and ready to accept applications. The program will be ready soon so project implementation can begin in the spring and summer of 2020.
Minnesota is replete with floral and faunal richness. We’re lucky to live and recreate in such a place. That the rusty patched bumble bee calls Minnesota its home, their decline and dual recognition as an endangered species and official state symbol is a call of concern and pride that should motivate us all to make its home (and ours) an even better place as we get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
That's one of the most succinct discussions of making the rusty patched bumble bee Minnesota's state bee--and of "looking closer to what I was actually observing." Some of Bluestem's neighbors here in Summit are taking a closer look at what they see in their lawns and the grasslands surrounding the small town. Residents in their thirties tell us words to the effect that many ingenious lovely things are gone that seemed sheer miracle to the multitude in these parts as far as herps and insects go. The Coteau still seems fecund to us newcomers.
Closer to the metro, the exurban Forest Lake Times reports in New funding coming soon for bee-friendly yards:
Cheryl Seeman is a Master Gardener and bee-lover who lives on Crooked Lake in Andover. “They call me the Queen Bee,” says Seeman with a laugh, as she leads visitors through her verdant yard and gardens. The lawn is dotted with white clover and dandelion blooms. A wide rain garden borders a curbside city storm drain, and garden signs announce that this is pollinator-friendly territory. Her sprawling gardens are already lush and blooming, and in the backyard, red-winged blackbirds chirp and flit between tall reeds.
Today, Crooked Lake has good water quality, but it wasn’t always that way. Over the years, Seeman witnessed firsthand the cumulative effect of chemical lawn treatments and runoff pollution. Years of work have finally restored the lake’s clear waters, and now she is dedicated to “saving the globe one yard at a time.” She’s part of the Andover Pollinator Awareness Project and will be featured on a garden tour in July designed to inspire other local residents to plant for pollinators in their yards.
This spring, the Minnesota legislature earmarked $900,000 to protect pollinators and support the DNR non-game wildlife program. One goal is to help homeowners turn lawns into pollinator-friendly habitats that support native bee and butterfly species, many of which are declining rapidly. In particular, lawmakers hope to save the rusty patched bumblebee, which is on the brink of extinction. The new Lawns to Legumes program will be run by the Board of Water and Soil Resources, with homeowner grants becoming available in 2020. Funding will be targeted to priority areas where rusty patch bumble bees and other at-risk species are known to live and will be used to help homeowners replace conventional lawns with native gardens and bee-lawns.
As Cheryl Seeman has learned, native gardens and bee lawns aren’t just good for the bees. Over the years, her yard has become a neighborhood sanctuary that nurtures wildlife and protects the nearby lake from runoff pollution. Her yard includes cherry trees, a native plum tree, and lilacs, as well as alliums, ground sedums, hyssop, and goldenrod. She also embraces what she calls “messy gardening” by using last fall’s leaves to mulch her garden beds. Kids visit her garden to search for caterpillars, and most of her neighbors have stopped treating their own lawns with chemicals as well.
Read the rest at the Forest Lake Times.
But pollinator protection and discovery isn't just a Greater Minnesota or exurban thing. Lillie News' East Side Bulletin Board carries news of this event:
Pollinator hunt
Join Urban Roots at the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, Fourth St. E., on Saturday, July 27 from 4 to 6 p.m., to help with a pollinator survey. After the survey, join Urban Roots for a bike ride following the Mississippi River to Keg and Case Market. Observe other pollinator habitat and enjoy a treat from Sweet Science Ice Cream. To register for the event, go to www.urbanrootsmn.org.
Sweet!
Photo: A rusty patched bumblebee. Via US FWS.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the paypal subscription button.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
Recent Comments