Britton Donharl

By BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club

At their July 13 meeting, the Kiwanis Club was treated to an entertaining and informative presentation by Britton Donharl, the coordinator of Bee City. She described the many types of pollinators in our area, the importance of native pollinators, and the challenges they face.

Pollination, the act of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma, can happen in many ways: by insects such as bees and butterflies, by wind, by nectar-sipping birds, and also by mammals, such as bats. Pollination is vitally important. One in three bites of food require pollinators, 85% of flowering plants depend on them, and an estimated 40% of insect pollinator populations are at risk.

Honeybees, the only creature specifically evolved for pollination, are generalists and managed as livestock in the US. They were brought to the Americas by early colonists and are therefore not a native species. They can out-compete native bees for pollen and nectar, which negatively affects native bee populations.

Wild native bees are more efficient pollinators of many crops that are native to the Americas, like tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, potatoes, and more. They are better adapted to local climate and plants. Native bees are often specialists, meaning they co-evolved with plants to be the best pollinators. The main threats to native bees and pollinators are habitat loss and pesticides.

Bee City Los Alamos is an affiliate of Bee City USA and organized by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC). Their mission is a commitment to conserve native pollinators by planting native plants, providing nesting sites, conscientiously managing planted and natural areas and reducing pesticide use county-wide. They manage two Pollinator Demonstration Gardens, the newest one at the Golf Course. They provide pollinator kits, educational outreach with programs for all ages, publish a newsletter and maintain a website with more information.