The South Mountain Speakers Series will host a “Pollinators and Their Habitat” program on May 8 featuring a presentation by Brandon Hoover, Director of Sustainability at Messiah College in Boyer Hall Room 131 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County.
Attendees will learn about the role pollinators like bees and butterflies play in our food production, how and why bees make honey, and how you can help improve the number of pollinators in the environment.
Time allowing, participants will have a chance to visit the college’s bee hives to learn why they keep their own bees, so please dress accordingly (closed toed shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirt or jacket).
According to the Pollinator Partnership, between 75 and 95 percent of all flowering plants need pollinators to thrive. That means that 1 out of every three bites of food you eat would not be here without pollinators.
Pollinators also add $217 billion dollars to the global economy. That’s a big deal for such a small creature!
Hoover said, “We’re doing a disservice if we’re not talking about pollinators and the need for pollinators. Without pollinators, we wouldn’t have tomatoes, squash, zucchini, so they’re an important part of the agricultural system.”
Hoover hopes attendees to the speakers series will come to a greater understanding of biodiversity through learning about bees.
“To pay attention to the flowers that the bees are pollinating, and by encouraging more native flowers in their yard will ultimately help bees,” said Hoover.
Parking will be available in the visitors lot on campus for this event.
Next Program
The next program in the Speakers Series will be on June 11 with a presentation on “Appreciating The PA Local Craft Brew Industry” and will be held at the Appalachian Brewing Company in Shippensburg.
The South Mountain Speakers Series is presented as a revival of the Michaux Lectures, a series of talks given by Joseph Rothrock to build a groundswell of public support for his work to preserve and restore Pennsylvania’s forested landscape.
The late 19th century Michaux Lectures were an educational mission that catalyzed real change in Pennsylvania’s environmental history.
As we face the challenges of the 21st century, the South Mountain Speakers Series is intended to encourage a new generation to find in the past a positive vision for the future of the South Mountain landscape.
The South Mountain landscape is an area in Southcentral Pennsylvania of nearly a half-million acres in size and includes portions of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the South Mountain Partnership website.
To learn more about similar initiatives in other areas of the state, visit DCNR’s Conservation Landscapes webpage.
Related Story:
Pollinator/Native Plant Resources
There are lots of resources available to help property owners landscape with native plants, and now is the best time to start planning for Spring projects. Here are just of a few of the resources available--
-- Game Commission: Common Beneficial Plants Found In Wildlife Habitat
-- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Native Plants For Wildlife Habitat And Conservation Landscaping
-- Brandywine Conservancy: Forested Riparian Buffer Planting Guide
-- Audubon PA: Bird Habitat Recognition Program
-- National Audubon: Native Plants Database
-- Pennsylvania Pollinator Protection Plan - Learn Why Pollinators Are At Risk In PA
You can also check with land trusts, watershed groups, PA Audubon and Trout Unlimited Chapters, county conservation districts or other groups near you to see how they can help.
Related Stories:
Feature: Recognizing The Value Of Native Plants For Pollinators - Dr. Doug Tallamy
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