News Center Maine (Portland, ME)

July 6, 2022

Monarch butterflies may be the most familiar butterfly in North America. It’s hard to miss the black, orange, and white patterned wings fluttering from flower to flower. But spotting them is becoming less common.

The population of the monarch butterfly has declined in recent years.

The eastern monarch population dropped about 88 percent from 1996 to 2020, from an estimated 383 million to just under 45 million, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Read the rest of the article at newscentermaine.com.

The Republic (Columbus, IN)

June 27, 2022

Developers of a proposed solar energy farm in northeastern Bartholomew County are pledging to incorporate what would be the largest “pollinator garden” in the county, providing vital habitat for butterflies and bees that are essential for food and vegetation.

The proposed Swallowtail Solar Farm, which developers Arevon Energy Inc. and Tenaska want to build on agricultural land leased from owners in Clay and Flat Rock Townships, would generate 200 megawatts of clean renewable energy, enough to power more than 30,000 homes.

Read the rest of this article at The Republic website.

La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, WI)

June 28, 2022

Tacoma News-Tribune

July 3, 2022

A new garden on the state Capitol campus in Olympia is attracting visitors by foot and by wing.

The Capitol Campus Pollinator Garden opened last week with colorful stands of golden yarrow, blue salvia, sweet-smelling alyssum and other flowers that winged critters find delectable.

Read more at the Tacoma News-Tribune website.

 

U.S. Department of the Interior

June 23, 2022

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Martha Williams and Senator Jeff Merkley joined science experts and policymakers at the first-ever Monarch Butterfly Summit in Washington, DC, on June 22-23, 2022. 

The two-day summit was organized to share the latest science and conservation actions being taken to address the long-term population decline of the western monarch butterfly, bringing together key stakeholders from across the science and policy communities to identify priority actions to conserve the western monarch butterfly. Leading experts provided the current state of the science, natural history, population status, habitats and barriers to conservation success. 

Read the rest of the press release here.

KDRV.com (Medford, OR)

June 26, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Monarch butterflies seem to have many supporters, including an Oregon senator who’s getting $1-million on their behalf.

Senator Jeff Merkley and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the $1-million investment during their two-day monarch butterfly summit in Washington, D.C. this month to review protections for the species.

They announced the funding Thursday to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation Fund and the establishment of a Pollinator Conservation Center at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Both projects are supported by the western monarch conservation funding Senator Merkley secured as Chairman of the Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill.

Read the rest of the article at KDRV.com.

ScienceDaily

June 24, 2022

Temperature changes have negatively impacted most species of bumble bees over the past 120 years, according to new research published this week in Biology Letters. The researchers note that changes in temperature had more of a negative impact than other factors — such as precipitation or floral resources.

Continue reading this article at ScienceDaily.

KSAT.com (San Antonio, TX)

June 20, 2022

This is Pollinator Week — a time to celebrate birds, bats, bees, beetles and butterflies.

Even if you’re not a bat or bug person, your life is still directly affected by pollinators every single day.

Love margaritas? The agave plant, which produces an essential ingredient in tequila, depends on bats for pollination.

“Pollinators play an important role in our ecosystems and food systems,” said Luke Metzger, Executive Director of Environment Texas. “This Pollinator Week, we’re doubling down on our pledge to do all we can to protect our precious pollinators that help make our flowers bloom and trees bear fruit.”

Read the rest of the article at KSAT.com.

Markets Insider

June 20, 2022

A year after coming together to help make the agricultural landscape more friendly to pollinators, members of the California Pollinator Coalition say they’re gaining momentum, building stronger relationships between agriculture and conservation groups that are already increasing habitat on the ground. 

The coalition – created in April 2021 and including more than 20 agriculture, conservation and government organizations – says it’s building a stronger network among these groups that has already led to new projects to expand on the success of the efforts of its individual member organizations.

Read the rest of the article at the Markets Insider website.

CBS Minnesota

May 27, 2022

Minnesota pollinators have it tough right now. The Department of Natural Resources says habitat loss, pesticides and climate change, have contributed to the drastic decline in population.

But now that spring is in full bloom and our gardens are picking up steam, some people are turning their backyards into bee havens.

Read more on the CBS Minnesota website.