The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental nonprofit Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Sheda Morshed.
Beyond their beauty, wonder, and awe, the butterflies, bees, birds, beetles, bats and other small pollinator mammals provide a vital ecosystem service that we can easily take for granted. Without pollinators, we will lose at least one third of our foods and drinks, including coffee, bananas and chocolate.
Unfortunately, we are single handedly driving nature’s little workers to extinction from development and habitat loss, pesticide and herbicide use in both residential and agricultural areas, climate change and non-native predators.
The great news? We are the solution! But experts say we all need to step up. What you do in your garden or which fruit or vegetable you buy does make a difference.
By helping protect butterflies and native bees, you will also help most other pollinator species by creating a healthy ecosystem:
- If it comes from a plant, buy organic. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are all examples of pollinator-dependent foods. Support coffee shops, restaurants and brands that are doing it right.
- Speak with your gardener about avoiding ALL herbicides or pesticides in your garden. Anything that kills one insect will kill or sicken all insects, no matter what the label says.
– Instead, use organic worm casting to boost your plant’s immunity to fight pests naturally.
– If you have an infestation and your plants are still too weak to take care of themselves, ask your gardener to spray a mixture of dish soap and water until the pests are gone
– One of the biggest causes of pests is overwatering. Take the time and with your gardener to identify the minimal watering time for all your plants … and never water at night.
– For lawns, look for native grasses like Carex pansa, Buchloe dactyloides, or Agrostis pallens (great for kids!). All will thrive in our climate with very little watering, maintenance and zero toxins or additives.
- A small patch of pollinator-friendly native plants in your home garden, school, office, parks, etc., will help create a pollinator corridor. But avoid big box nurseries that sell plants treated with neonicotinoid or other herbicides. Most toxins remain in the plant’s roots and nectar, poisoning or weakening pollinators.
- For monarchs, avoid planting tropical milkweed that throws off their migration patterns. Our local milkweed flowers are white or pink, e.g., showy milkweed and narrow-leaved milkweed.
- To learn, act or donate, visit xerces.org, a science and policy nonprofit that’s been active in California’s pollinator conservation for decades.
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