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Recently, we at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that monarch butterflies are proposed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to the status of monarchs, pollinators of all kinds are struggling and need our help. Our agency and our partners are actively engaged in conserving pollinators through surveys and monitoring, conservation planning, research, habitat management and enhancement, as well as outreach efforts. We have leveraged Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to improve native pollinator habitat across the Midwestern and Northeastern U.S.
Habitat loss is the number one challenge for most pollinators and, six years ago, our agency initiated the Great Lakes Pollinator Task Force, a team that has since initiated projects to improve habitat for other pollinators, plants and wildlife. The task force conducted surveys to determine which geographies needed the most help. Already, the task force participants and their partners have restored 4,000 acres inside the priority areas. In addition to helping bees, butterflies and busy pollinators of all kinds, these acres restored also help clean the water and provide habitat for other native wildlife.
Research informs habitat restoration
The task force is investigating creative new ways to protect native insects; for example, they are determining how to conserve pollinators even when pesticides are present. Additionally, they are coordinating and communicating with groups outside of our agency to spread the message, garner support and connect efforts.
Understanding native pollinators is key to understanding ecosystem health. In the United States, there are more than 1,000 species of butterflies and moths and more than 3,600 native bee species. Most Great Lakes states have more than 400 species of bees. However, to begin improving pollinator health around the Great Lakes, the task force needed more research to know where species still exist and what areas are supporting healthy populations.
Many units in our Refuge System had no data on native bee populations or presence on their lands, and neither did many other federal agencies. Field staff conducted public land surveys and they were able to clarify the presence and ranges of native bee species. During the surveys, they recorded a bee species that was previously thought to be extinct in Wisconsin. They were also the first to identify the spread of an invasive bee species into Michigan, the invasive Mediterranean golden-tailed woodborer bee, which is responsible for causing damage to wood structures. Having an early warning has helped the staff at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to mitigate damage and pivot to habitat restoration plans that exclude the invasive bee.
Not surprisingly, the task force work suggests that many native bee and pollinator populations are in decline or at risk. The good news is that these pollinators can benefit from conservation action and wildlife tend to do well when we give them a chance.
Building buzz and transforming backyards
The task force has combined their newer, more accurate species distribution map with additional data sets like insecticide use and habitat resiliency. This Focus Area Map is publicly available and helped them to choose distinct focus areas that could benefit the most from their help and begin planning projects to start work immediately.
The task force is working on several research projects, but also wants to communicate their findings and their passion for conservation. Communication efforts by the task force include hosting stewardship days, pollinator education events, bi-annual workshops, running social media campaigns, publishing a pollinator landscape guide, writing and distributing quarterly newsletters and more.
You can join the Great Lakes Pollinator Task Force as they collaborate, communicate, learn and share. Local events may be held in your area and you can learn to transform your backyard into a pollinator haven. We encourage you to learn more and share with friends and family how to help monarchs, bees and pollinators of all kinds.
For more information on the Great Lakes Pollinator Task Force, visit How the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Helps Pollinators or reach out to Meredith Holm.
