Pollinators in the News

While we love having animal exhibits that the public can enjoy, we also always have to think about the animals involved in the exhibits as well. Our observation beehive offers a glimpse into the inner workings of these insects but we also need to tell the story of the many problems facing honey bees and the many other pollinators on which so much of our food depends. Last week, this story was in the news: Colony Loss 2014 – 2015, Preliminary Results.



The report is serious and now there is a lot of insistence from the White House to take effective action: See “National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators.”

What can we do as individuals? Most importantly, we can educate ourselves and be aware of how our food, land, and energy use impacts pollinators directly and indirectly. Learn more from the Xerces Society on Pollinator Conservation and from these local sources:

http://www.seattle.gov/util/cs/groups/public/@spu/@conservation/documents/webcontent/01_031801.pdf and

http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/news/2015/03/27/encouraging-native-pollinators/

Although they face many problems, pollinators are also fascinating and fun to learn about. For some very up-close stories about pollinators at Pacific Science Center, read some of our past blog articles on bees and pollinators.