Seasonality, Pollinators and Reversing Habitat Loss
Turning your property into a refuge for the pollinators in your neighborhood is a fun and rewarding form of conservation. Taking a proactive approach to reversing habitat loss will give you a sense of empowerment that may lead to finding other ways in your community to help the environment. So, let’s get started in your backyard!
Let’s start with seasonality - the concept of having blooms in your garden in every season. It makes for a more interesting garden experience for you, but more importantly it feeds your pollinators for the maximum length of time possible. So many plants bloom during late spring and summer, but pollinators need something to munch on in early spring and late fall after most things have gone dormant as well. Having a few native, early bloomers will help in the spring and having late bloomers will help nourish our pals in the fall. Golden Currant blooms in early spring. Chamisa, winterfat and asters are late bloomers and will provide nourishment late in the fall into the winter months.
Birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, small mammals, and most importantly, bees are all pollinators. Pollinators are crucial to a healthy ecosystem, helping produce 1/3 of our food crops. The first step in reversing habitat loss is to use native plantings to provide nourishment to our pollinators, most of which do not recognize non-native plants as a food source. Plants and pollinators have evolved side by side or co-evolved, and most pollinators can only feed from plants that they have co-evolved with. Doug Tallamy, the ecologist and conservationist, published research that has shown a native oak can support 500 species of caterpillar, while an Asian tree would maybe support 5 types of caterpillar. How many bugs are available in an area can make a big impact since 90% of terrestrial birds rear their young with insects.
Another way to provide nourishment to birds is to feed them bird seed. If you have not done this before you wouldn't believe how thrilling it is. Some Santa Fe friends got me into it by tossing peanuts (unshelled) and sunflower seeds in their driveway when I would visit. The crows and other neighborhood birds would flock, while we sat inside with our toddlers and watched the feast from the window. I wanted to have this joyful experience at my place so I got a simple cylindrical bird feeder that works to great effect. We watch mama birds feed their young with the seeds and corn we provide, and the singing birds provide such a nice vibe through our open windows. It is such a small investment and the benefit to us and the wildlife nearby can be seen and felt. I’ll warn you now that this is highly addictive!
Providing a water source is another way to help birds, especially in the winter when everything freezes. If you are providing water and food there are a few considerations to keep in mind. The water and feeding vessels need to be cleaned periodically so that you aren’t contributing to the spreading of bird disease. If you have cats or dogs in your yard consider putting a bell on their collars or feeding the birds in an area your pets can’t reach. To help insects escape the bird bath make sure your vessel has a shallow access edge so that they can crawl out. Avoid using any pesticides. It may seem like a good solution to use pesticides after an infestation; but then pollinators will not be able to enjoy your plant.
If you are a local to Santa Fe or plan to visit, check out the Randall Davey Audubon Center. The campus is so beautiful and the views are amazing. And there is an awesome play structure for kids too!
Links for Further Reading:
National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder