This is the second of three presentations the Warren, Waitsfield and Fayston Conservation Commissions have organized for 2023. The first was a presentation on wildlife corridors this spring. The pollinators presentation is September 14 at the Pavilion at the Lareau Farm Inn from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A third biodiversity presentation is slated for October.
At the September 14 event, Sue Staats, Green Mountain Forest Service fish and wildlife technician, will discuss the condition of habitats for pollinators covering the past, present, and what the future has to hold with a special video from Doug Tallamy.
Insect populations are declining at an alarming rate and this is affecting the pollination of native plants, including the ones that humans rely on for food. A big part of the problem is habitat loss. If people turned part of their lawn into a pollinator garden, this would make a huge difference in keeping these insect populations alive.
Pollinator pathways connect smaller green spaces together to create a larger habitat for pollinators. People can directly contribute to this pathway by planting a native pollinator garden in their backyard or local community garden.
Then, Mike and Tawnya Kiernan, founders of Bee the Change will provide details about Bee the Change and its goals to create a biodiversity garden in every town in Vermont. The Kiernans founded Bee the Change eight years ago to support biodiversity by restoring habitat for pollinators. The pollinators are a "capstone" group of species that support the fertilization of flowering plants which nourish countless other species, including humans. The pollinator habitat Bee the Change has created is equivalent to every Vermont household, planting a 10-foot x 10-foot pollinator garden. In addition, they have assisted hundreds of Vermonters in creating gardens. In 2023 they launched the Our Town Pollinator Project and have the goal of creating an acre of habitat in each Vermont's 252 cities and towns. They have built habitat in Waterbury, Waitsfield, Moretown and Warren, but they have a long way to go.
Their effort is supported by businesses and individuals who "plant their feet" by creating square footage of habitat equivalent to their home or business. Local businesses in this area who have planted their feet include American Flatbread, Waitsfield.
Learn why it is important to create pollinator corridors throughout the state and country to provide the necessary habitat and food for pollinators to survive.
One free plant to begin a home pollinator garden will be available for every attendant.
