A pollinator is anything that helps to carry pollen from the stamen to the pistil. While bees, some birds, and butterflies are the most recognized pollinators, they are not the only ones that contribute to the ecosystem. Many different types of insects, like beetles, wasps, and flies, while pesky, play a vital role that affects our daily lives. Some mammals and reptiles, too, help spread pollen, including bats, honey possums, lemures, skinks, geckos, and wall lizards.
One of the reasons pollinators are so important is because they facilitate plant production. Worldwide, there are nearly 1,000 plants that are grown for consumption that need to be pollinated by animals to grow. Crops like apples, bananas, coffee, melons, potatoes, pumpkins, vanilla, tequila, and many others all require animal pollination. Pollinators’ impact on agriculture is worth close to $29 billion alone in the United States and between $235 billion and $577 billion worldwide.
Pollinators also contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Pollinators are classified as “keystone species”, which means they help hold the ecosystem together. By pollinating, soil erosion is prevented, carbon sequestration is improved, and water quality is increased. Without just these three factors, food would not grow, and shortages would ensue, carbon in the air would increase, and water would not be consumable.
In Illinois, many municipalities took part in “No Mow May” to support pollinators. Peak bloom for clover and dandelions is in the April-June timeframe, so by refraining from mowing, more pollinators are attracted. However, when homeowners mowed, all food supply was cut down. Until more research is found on the effects, the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana’s Extension has suggested planting a diverse group of flowering plants, that all have different peak bloom times and are different shapes and colors to attract pollinators year-round, without sacrificing lawncare.
At the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana’s campus, which is located at the edge of Rep. Schweizer’s district, is the U of I Pollinatarium. The facility has indoor displays to allow you to learn about how to care for pollinator gardens and outside walking paths to see the pollinators in action. The facility is maintained by the university’s College of ACES, Department of Crop Sciences.
In southern Illinois, Dixon Springs State Park in Golconda, nested in Rep. Windhorst’s district is home to a pollinator prairie. The Pollinator Prairie at the Dixon Springs Ag Center was established in 2019 and is center is open to the public. The prairie is maintained in partnership with the University of Illinois and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. There, 1.5 acres were designated to the pollination prairie at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center.
Unfortunately, many pollinators’ populations face endangerment. From factors like habitat loss, weather events, pesticides, and invasive species, there has been a decline in the number of pollinators. In June of 2024, Governor Pritzker and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulis signed a proclamation naming June 17-23, 2024, Illinois Pollinator Week. To further combat endangerment and extinction of vital pollinators, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the University of Illinois, the Illinois Farm Bureau and others have developed various ways to help preserve pollinators and the grass and plants that attract them.
To learn more pollinators or to get more information on how to attract pollinators, visit the below sites:
At the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana’s campus, which is located at the edge of Rep. Schweizer’s district, is the U of I Pollinatarium. The facility has indoor displays to allow you to learn about how to care for pollinator gardens and outside walking paths to see the pollinators in action. The facility is maintained by the university’s College of ACES, Department of Crop Sciences.
In southern Illinois, Dixon Springs State Park in Golconda, nested in Rep. Windhorst’s district is home to a pollinator prairie. The Pollinator Prairie at the Dixon Springs Ag Center was established in 2019 and is center is open to the public. The prairie is maintained in partnership with the University of Illinois and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. There, 1.5 acres were designated to the pollination prairie at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center.
Unfortunately, many pollinators’ populations face endangerment. From factors like habitat loss, weather events, pesticides, and invasive species, there has been a decline in the number of pollinators. In June of 2024, Governor Pritzker and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulis signed a proclamation naming June 17-23, 2024, Illinois Pollinator Week. To further combat endangerment and extinction of vital pollinators, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the University of Illinois, the Illinois Farm Bureau and others have developed various ways to help preserve pollinators and the grass and plants that attract them.
To learn more pollinators or to get more information on how to attract pollinators, visit the below sites: