Trees for Bees: Pollinator Habitats in Urban Forests by IPM in the South

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bee trees, ecology, environmental ecology, trees for bees

The webinar will provide Extension Agents with information and resources to promote pollinator habitats in urban and suburban forests.

Pollinator nest boxes. Credit: Elizabeth Benton

Pollinator habitats are important to all landscapes, including urban and suburban forests. Pollinators need numerous resources in addition to nectar and pollen, such as nesting sites, water, and shelter. The webinar will cover pollinator habitat needs and ways to promote pollinators in urban and suburban forests. Available resource materials and instructions for a hands-on learning activity will be included.

 

This webinar is part of the series, Understanding Urban and Community Forests: An Extension Webinar Series.

To find out more: Trees for Bees: Pollinator Habitats in Urban Forests — IPM in the South

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Promoting Pollinator Habitat as Landscape Architects by Anthony Fettes, ASLA, PLA, AP

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art, bee friendly gardens, ecology, environmental ecology, landscape architects, pollinator gardens

“As landscape architects, one of the most effective ways we can improve the ecological benefit of any landscape is knowing how to identify, enhance, and create habitat for pollinators. But before maxing out a planting design with an abundant array of colorful blooms and anticipating the buzz of activity, there is more to consider than simply specifying a preselected pollinator seed mix or plugs. So, what exactly is pollinator habitat? For many, an open wildflower meadow or garden with the familiar stacked box (Langstroth) style beehive may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, pollinator habitat includes a diversity of floral resources for foraging, safe locations, and materials shelter/nesting sites (or host plants for butterflies and moths—Lepidoptera).”

cont.

Anthony Fettes, ASLA, PLA, SITES AP, is a Senior Landscape Architect and Ecologist at Sasaki in Watertown, MA.

Read full article here: https://wp.me/p2opir-25p

Book Review: The Humane Gardener by EARTHeim

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book review, ecology, environmental ecology, plants for pollinators, The Humane Gardener

“The book has six chapters and covers topics like native plants, letting nature guide your garden, gardening for pollinators and birds, our relationship with wildlife and how are gardens are a meeting ground, and the life cycle of nature relating to our garden.

Throughout the book are also 6 interviews with ecological gardeners who have turned their property into a ‘living landscape’. It is interesting to see how their garden transformed from its original purchased state. One lady in Florida even found a threatened native lily growing on her property after allowing her garden to become more natural.

There are nice color photos on nearly every set of pages as examples of the topic discussed. In the back of the book is a list of online learning resources and a native plant list, to continue your endeavor on creating an ecological garden.”

cont.

Read full article here: https://wp.me/p4dO9X-1zx

Crop pollination depends on wild AND managed pollinators

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ecology, environmental ecology, pollination, pollinator gardening

Common sense approach to pollinator ecosystems.

Ecology is not a dirty word

I just published this letter with Toby Smith and Romina Rader, in response to an opinion piece in Science back in January. The original paper argues that high densities of honey bees can harm wild pollinators (this can happen in some contexts).

It also suggests that a first step toward a conservation strategy for wild pollinators is that crop pollination by managed honey bees “should not be considered an ecosystem service” because those services “are delivered by an agricultural animal and not the local ecosystems”.

This highlights a common misinterpretation of what ecosystem services is all about. Services are delivered by interactions between species (including Homo sapiens) and their environments at multiple scales, not individual organisms or natural ecosystems.

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Former Coal Miners In Southern West Virginia Spent Their Summer Learning How To Keep Bees Thanks To UD’s Debbie Delaney by Bee Culture Magazine

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ecology, entomology, environmental ecology, sustainability, West Virginia

Debbie Delaney

 

Ed. Note: What’s amazing, at least to me, isn’t so much the shift from coal mining to beekeeping. Rather it’s the reversal of the destruction that had resulted from mining. The return of bees to these areas actually changes the land. The bees support the flora which, in turn, supports various species of animals and other pollinators. A transformation begins to take place with the assistance of the honey bees.

Former coal miners or citizens whose lives have been shaped by the coal mining industry in southern West Virginia spent their summer learning how to establish and operate bee colonies thanks to help from the University of Delaware’s Debbie Delaney.

Delaney, associate professor of entomology in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, spent her summer in Summers County working as a consultant through Appalachian Headwaters which is a non-profit organization that formed the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective. Delaney said that the goal was to help get the socioeconomic growth program up and running for displaced miners in 14 counties in southern West Virginia.

“We got about 500 nucleus colonies or nucs, which are small colonies of bees, and a queen and all summer we’ve been erecting bear fences and creating bee yards so we can grow the colonies over the season and get them through the winter,” said Delaney.

Beginning next year, local partners will come on board and get hives which will be a way for them to generate income.

Delaney said that how much income will vary depending on what kind of forage is available during that time of year—and that since the initial installation began after foraging season, they have had to feed the bees a lot to get them up to weight to make it through winter.

Read the full article here: CATCH THE BUZZ – Former Coal Miners In Southern West Virginia Spent Their Summer Learning How To Keep Bees Thanks To UD’s Debbie Delaney — Bee Culture