- Bats. Bees.
Hummingbirds. Beetles. Butterflies. Wasps. Flies. Moths. How many pollinators have you
seen today?
-
- Have
you ever stood
beside a bush and noticed how many different kinds of bees, wasps,
beetles, butterflies, moths, and flies visited the flowers? Perhaps you saw hummingbirds fly into a bright red flower or observed bats pollinating
an agave at dusk. These pollinators are fascinating, and we’re trying to
learn more!
-
- What's
the Buzz? is
a two-year CDRI project currently underway, designed to raise awareness of
the importance of vertebrate and invertebrate pollinators and to promote an
interest and concern for pollinators in the Chihuahuan Desert region. A series of
events and projects is planned including interpretive exhibits, workshops,
lectures, field days, and publications, all focusing on the amazing plant
and pollinator relationship. This
education and research project is sponsored in part by a prestigious Museums
of America grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (www.imls.gov)
and is the result of a collaboration of many partners, including Sul Ross
State University, Alpine, TX; Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort
Worth, TX; and Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Fort Worth, TX.
-
- Why We
Should All Care... "Pollinators
Decline Called Threat to Crops" (Washington
Post, Oct. 16, 2006.) Headlines
like this are becoming more and more common. Honeybees are leaving their
hives and never returning. Native pollinators such as bats, hummingbirds,
and solitary bees are disappearing. Why? Scientists are racing against the
clock to find out. But
the disappearance of pollinators isn’t just an exercise for scientists.
Here are four good reasons why we should all care:
-
- Chocolate.
And apples, peaches, peas, and squash. The list goes on and on. One out
of every 3 bites of food we eat is courtesy of a pollinator.
- Pollinators keep plant communities healthy and able to reproduce. Over
3000 plants grow in the desert region. Because many of these plants go
from seed to seed in a single growing season, they rely on pollinators
(and not just the wind) to reproduce.
- Birds and
other animals are even more dependent upon fruits and seeds than we
are.
- Pollinator-supported
plant communities bind the
soil, helping to prevent
erosion.
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- Won't you
join us? Here's what you can do. Get involved
with the CDRI and on your own. We're sure that the more you learn about
pollinators, the more fascinated you'll be.
