They fly, buzz, creep and flutter, always in a quest for a meal —a bite here, a sip there.
They’re pollinators, nature ’s workforce carrying pollen from one plant to another. But many of them are in trouble.
The Morgantown North Rotary Pollinator Project launches April 20 with a Pollinator Plant Sale from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Mylan Park, lower level, next to the Operation Welcome Home greenhouse.
There will be perennials grown by Shields Herb and Flower Farm and annuals from the Clay-Battelle High School greenhouse.
All plants will be suitable for the pollinators in this region.
See how to make a lasagna garden. Talk with representatives from WVU Extension Master Gardeners —Monongalia County, the West Virginia Botanic Garden, Morgantown Native Plants Underground, Mission Beelieve – Heroes for Honey, Operation Welcome Home and EnviroScience.
Red spruce saplings courtesy of Dave Saville and the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative will be for sale.
You can also buy a custom-made Morgantown North Rotary Pollinator Project flower press.
Profits from the sale will help the club’s longterm goal of providing education and advocacy to help reverse the trend of pollinator decline. Creating habitat for pollinators means creating beauty in the environment, mowing less grass and enjoying the wonder of nature as you better understand the roles of bees and butterflies, beetles, bats and more.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that up to 75% of our crops rely on pollinators for fertilization. Without them, the food supply would dwindle, much of the natural world would lose its sustenance and the flowering beauty around us would wither and die.
Many pollinators are in decline due to what researchers at UC Davis call “humanity’s footprint.”
The trend is reversable in ways that everyone can have a hand. From yard plantings of the proper plants for the region to the naturalization of larger areas, creating proper habitat is an attainable goal with the right knowledge.
That’s the real goal of the Morgantown North Rotary Pollinator Project. The club is building a network of like-minded organizations with the knowledge and skills to help build a more pollinator-friendly environment at the local level. Workshops and demos are in the planning stages as well as art-based educational activities for children.
Organizations and individuals interested in this initiative, can contact Morgantown North Rotary at mnrotary.org.
