#BeelieveInScience

While it may not be in everyone’s calendar, June 15 marked the start of Pollinator Week across North America. What’s Pollinator Week, and why should it be on your calendar?

Pollinator Week, which started in 2007, celebrates pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds and bats, which are fundamental to our ecosystems. In fact, pollinators, especially honey bees, are responsible for 50 to 80 per cent of our global food supply.

Pollination happens when a pollinator moves pollen or spores from the male anthers to the female stigma within a flower or from flower to flower. This process of fertilization means the plant will reproduce and grow fruit and seeds; ultimately our food and other natural products used in medicines, fibers and other goods on which the world depends. In Nova Scotia, pollinators are particularly important for our two most important agricultural crops – blueberries and apples. And of course, honey bees provide us with sticky, sweet honey – the greenest sweetener in the world.

However, bees are in trouble. Over the past 10 years, bee colonies have been dying off at alarming rates. This phenomenon has been referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder. Last year in the United States alone, over 40 per cent of bee colonies died according to the US Department of Agriculture. In Ontario, during the 2013-2014 season, estimates indicate the loss was a staggering 58 per cent. Scientific research indicates causes for this decline include habitat loss, nutritional stress, viruses and chemical use, especially the use of neonicotinoids, a type of pesticide used to coat some agricultural seeds, like corn and canola. In 2013, Europe banned the use of three types of neonicotinoids for a two-year trial period, and Ontario is proposing limiting the use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds.

There is hope though, and it starts with all of us. Plant a pollinator-friendly garden with native flowering plants. In Nova Scotia good examples include milkweed, thistle, clover, aster, goldenrod, bergamot and spiderwort. Support pollinators with simple houses, baths or mineral licks. Don’t use pesticides. Support our local farmers and producers, especially those with pollinator-friendly practices. And spread the word about how important pollinators like bees are.

As an indicator species, honey bees reflect the health of our environment. With such a rapid decline in their health, alarm bells should be sounding across the globe.

#BeelieveInScience is brought to you by the Discovery Centre, Nova Scotia’s hands-on science centre. We beelieve science can change the world, starting right here at home. Donate now to our new “hive” being built on the Halifax waterfront and inspire our next generation of scientists. Learn more and donate at beelieve.ca.