Sustainability Spotlight - March 2024 - What's All the Buzz About?

As Spring arrives in the Rocky Mountains one noticeable shift into the season includes the faint hum of pollinators and insects as they emerge from their winter habitats and begin to find their way from plant to plant in our urban landscapes.

Pollinators make it possible for plants to reproduce and create fruits. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, ants, moths, small mammals and more are responsible for approximately one out of every three bites of food we eat.

In January 2024, the CO Department of Natural Resources released the 308-page Colorado Native Pollinating Insects Health Study, a commissioned report conducted collaboratively by Colorado State University Extension, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History in consultation with various subject matter experts throughout the state.

The comprehensive report assessed the health of Colorado’s native pollinators, evaluated the State’s pollinator policies, and recommended ways to preserve and protect pollinators. The study revealed an incredibly vibrant community of native pollinators that are increasingly at risk due to habitat loss, poor land-management practices, pesticides, non-native species competition, and climate change.

When we support pollinators, we foster thriving ecosystems with robust plant communities that contribute to healthy soils and clean water. In addition to promoting policies that benefit native pollinators, recommended actions include:

1. Landscape with plants native to Colorado—this saves water, fosters biodiversity, and improves air quality while providing native pollinator habitat.
2. Select native plants that will be in bloom successively from early spring through fall to support and match the needs of pollinators all season long. Think about which pollinators you’d like to attract and plant specifically for them—bees, butterflies, moths, etc all have different plant preferences.
3. Use and promote sustainable, regenerative land management practices. Eliminate chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, instead choose alternative methods for pest and weed control.
4. Provide water sources—think shallow birdbaths and bowls with small pebbles or rocks to provide landing spaces for native pollinators.
5. Create pollinator habitats—consider adding nesting sites or invertebrate homes to your garden landscape in each season. Leave the fall garden standing through the winter and leave the leaves to provide places for overwintering, too.
6. Wait to clear out the fall garden until after spring temps are consistently above 50 degrees. Perhaps this is the year to participate in “No Mow May” to let grass grow and provide early season forage for pollinators.

In simple terms, pollinators require water, a sunny space to rest, and year-round blooms to visit.

Happy Spring Planting!

Check out these resources!

• Colorado Native Plant Society: https://conps.org/
• Colorado State University Extension | Creating Pollinator Habitat: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/creating-pollinator-habitat-5-616/
• Denver Audubon | Native Plants for Birds: https://denveraudubon.org/native-plants-birds/
• Denver Urban Gardens | Creating a Paradise for Pollinators: https://dug.org/creating-a-paradise-for-pollinators/
• People and Pollinators Action Network: https://www.peopleandpollinators.org/
• Wheat Ridge Parks & Rec | Regenerate Wheat Ridge: https://www.rootedinfun.com/302/Regenerate-Wheat-Ridge
• Wildlife Trusts | How to build a bug mansion: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-bug-mansion
• Wild Ones Front Range: https://frontrange.wildones.org/
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: https://xerces.org/