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.

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Return of the Monarchs

Daneus plexippus, the Monarch butterfly, is perhaps the most recognizable resident in our Tropical Butterfly House. The species is famous for its seasonal migration and spectacular overwintering at specific sites in California and Mexico. In recent years Monarch migratory populations have been in decline – until now.



A fascinating article from the San Francisco Chronicle website reports on the increasing number of Western monarchs returning to their winter homes: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/22/DDCR1M167F.DTL

Thanksgiving weekend is when the annual Western monarch butterfly count takes place and so far, the preliminary numbers are very encouraging. To learn more about what you can do to attract Monarchs to your backyard visit The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation website.

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