Imagine living in a world without flowers or fruit or even coffee or chocolate for that matter. Thanks to the wonderful work of pollinators like bees, much of the food we eat and flowers and plants we enjoy are possible.
And it’s not just bees that are doing all the work. Butterflies, birds, beetles, bats, wasps and even flies are important in the pollination process. But despite the importance of pollinators, they are taken for granted all too often. Worldwide, there is an alarming decline in pollinator populations.
Excessive use of pesticides and an ever-expanding conversion of landscapes to human use are the biggest culprits.
It is estimated that more than 1,300 types of plants are grown around the world for food, beverages, medicines, condiments, spices and even fabric. Of these, about 75% are pollinated by animals. More than one of every three bites of food we eat or beverages we drink are directly because of pollinators. Indirectly, pollinators ultimately play a role in the majority of what we eat and consume.
Pollinators are vital to creating and maintaining the habitats and ecosystems that many animals rely on for food and shelter. Worldwide, over half the diet of fats and oils comes from crops pollinated by animals. They facilitate the reproduction in 90% of the world’s flowering plants.
Join Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center and the Wild Ones on June 17th to learn about how you can make a positive difference in your own environment.
June 17 Programs
10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.: Bee Native: Join Lisa Lemza from the Wild Ones for a presentation on What are native plants? Why are they important to our yards, gardens and the world?
10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.: Bee Diverse: Join Christine Hunt, lead horticulturalist at the Tennessee Aquarium, to learn about bird and butterfly gardens. Butterflies and Hummingbirds are our most beloved pollinators. How to attract them to your yard.
12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Lunch break/tram tour. Call to reserve a spot. 423-821-1160 ext. 111
12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.: Bee Gardens: Join Sally Wencel from the Wild Ones to discuss “Out of the wilds and into your garden, Vegetable and Fruit Gardening with Native Plants…” How to use native plants to increase pollination and yields. How to attract beneficial insects to your garden.
1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Bee Smart: Join Ann Brown from the Wild Ones to discuss native bees are a keystone species that hold entire ecosystems together. They are the most important part of the food chain and are “essential to the entire fabric of life on the planet.” Who are they and why are they in decline?
2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Pollinator Tram Tour. Call to reserve a spot 423-821-1160.
June 24 Program
Speaker Rita Venable - 11 A.M.
Join author and butterfly expert Rita Venable as she does a presentation on “A home for Butterflies”.
Rita is the author of Butterflies of Tennessee and will be discussing her book and signing copies.
Admission - $15 Adult, $10 Child/Senior; Members, $10 Adult, $5 Child/Senior