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Protecting pollinators from pesticides.
Dear Reader,
While Dot wholeheartedly supports each of us taking steps in our lives to give Mother Earth a hand, there’s no denying that, when we come together, our impact can be far greater. Take today’s Climate Champ, the state of Oregon, for instance. In 2013, when a large number of bees died due to pesticide exposure, the state set up a Pollinator Health Task Force. Among other things, the task force trained roughly 13,000 licensed pesticide applicators to recognize situations posing a high risk to bees and, consequently, adjusting their practices. The result: Not one confirmed pesticide-related bee death since 2020, according to the University of Oregon.
The state isn’t out of the woods, yet, though. While national commercial hive losses average 35% and Oregon’s losses are 10% below that, there remains more to be done. Each of us can help by planting native pollinator plants that support local bee populations, reducing or eliminating pesticide use, and ensuring nesting spots for bees, such as bare soil (70% of native bees nest in underground burrows), dead wood, brush piles, and hollow stems.
Buzzingly,
Dot
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