This week is National Pollinator Week!
Across the country, bee activists, experts and in some cases, local politicians are getting together to educate and celebrate pollinators!
While bees are typically the first thing you think of when you hear “pollinate”, birds, bats, butterflies and a variety of other winged creatures as well as small mammals are also pollinators!
Close to Home
BEE on the lookout, the RI State House dome is lit up like a bumblebee this week!
On Tuesday, June 19th, there is a Bee Rally happening at the Rhode Island State House, starting at 2pm. The Rally kicks off with speakers, including Governor Raimondo and Got Sun Go Solar’s own Arthur Handy, who is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture and Representative.
What do pollinators DO and Why is it Important?
Pollinating insects and animals travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies which allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants.
A vast majority of flowering plants rely on pollination.
Pollinators provide pollination services to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops. That means that 1 out of every three bites of food you eat is there because of pollinators.
Why a whole week about Pollinators?
The population of many of our pollinators, like bees, are declining at an alarming rate. The decline has been mostly attributed to the a loss of feeding and nesting habitats, although climate change and pollution are contributing factors.