Perfect Pollinators: Who are they and why they matter in Washington County. Classroom Presentation Packet

Transcription

1 Perfect Pollinators: Who are they and why they matter in Washington County Classroom Presentation Packet This 12 slide set is designed for use with middle school classrooms to share information about pollinator conservation here in Washington County. The slides provide an outline for a conversation with students about what pollinators need to survive and how the activities of human beings can help or harm them, using the Fender s blue butterfly, the Mason bee, and the Cinnabar moth as examples. These slides were provided along with Bee Lunch bookmarks, a CD-ROM of supporting documents, and classroom materials. If you would like a copy of this presentation for use in your classroom, please contact Chantel Huff, Conservation Educator, Chantel.Huff@tualatinswcd.org or

2 Vocabulary Words Pollinators: Insects and animals that eat nectar and pollen, or come into contact with flowers. Move pollen from one flower to another, allowing them to develop into fruits and seeds. Invasive Species: A non-native specie that is introduced to an ecosystem and threatens the current native species living within that area. Pesticides: A substance used for destroying insects that also cause harm to crops, plants, and animals. Plant Biodiversity: A diversity of plants and species in a given area that provide for insects, and animals. Conservation: Preserving, protecting, and restorating wildlife habitats, and the environment. Pests: Insects that can cause damage to crops or gardens, or are a hazard to human health. Pollinator Hedgerow: A hedgerow is a line of bushes and flowering plants bordering a field, road or other area that takes the place of a fence.

3 Who Are the Pollinators? Bees Birds Bats Mason Bee Anna s Hummingbird Western Longeared Myotis Butterflies Moths Beetles Fender s Blue Ceranemota Rumbi Paracotalpa Granicollis Little Bears

4 What do People and Pollinators Both Need? Food Water Shelter Nursery

5 What Can Threaten Pollinator Habitats? Invasive Species Development Pesticides Farms

6 What is the Risk? Lower Food Production Less Wild Forage Fewer Insects Plant Biodiversity Oregon junco

7 Protecting the Fender s Blue Butterfly History of the Fender s Blue Butterfly The Fender s Blue Butterfly is only found in the upland prairies of the Willamette Valley in western Oregon. The butterfly was first documented in 1929, and then was listed on the Endanged Species list in Here in Washington County they were found near Hagg Lake in Its native habitats are fire dependent, and were historically burned by the Kalapuya people. Threats to Survival End of controlled burns. Elimination of grassland habitat (1% of original). Fragmentation from urban development and agriculture. Invasive species.

8 Protecting the Fender s Blue Butterfly How can we help the Fender s Blue? Protect existing large grassland areas. Manage those areas to encourage the right kinds of plants, this includes controlled burns to help fire dependent plants out. Restore native plants, such as Kincaid s Lupine. Learn more about the Fender s Blue through research and studies, inlcuding citizen science. What has been done already? Lupine seedlings are being replanted. Non-native invsaive species are being controlled. Conservation groups are working to preserve habitats through prescribed burning. Source:

9 Fender s Blue Butterfly Life Cycle Life Cycle of the Fender s Blue Butterfly By: Selena Dugan-Fields May: Eggs are oviposited on leaves of Kincaid s Lupine, once the larvae hatch, they feed on the plant until it senesces. Early summer: Larvae reach their second instar, and the caterpillars move to the base of the lupine and enter diapause (a state of developmental arrest). Winter: The caterpillars hibernate. March: The caterpillars awake, feeding on lupine while growing in size through three to four instars before they enter their pupal stage. May: They emerge as adults, taking a total of one year to complete their lifecycle.

10 Protecting Mason Bees Mason Bees are different than Honey Bees Mason Bees do not live in a hive. Mason Bees do not store food from year to year. Mason Bees do not have sacs on their legs. Mason Bees are native to Oregon. Why are Mason Bees good Pollinators? They have very hairy bodies that pollen sticks too. When they emerge from the nest, Mason bees are very hungry, and they eat a lot of pollen for its protein. When they are foraging for pollen, it sticks to their hairy bodies and falls off of them easily into other flowers. Mason bees are active early in the Spring when it is too cold for honey bees, and this is when orchard trees have flowers.

11 Protecting Mason Bees How do Mason Bees Survive without a Hive? Each generation of Mason Bees only live for a year. When they emerge from hybernation then start mating. To make their nests, the bees seal the back of the nesting tube with a mud plug. They then gather enough pollen and nectar to place in the compartment for the egg. They then plug the other end with mud to protect the egg for the winter. The tube holds from 7-11 eggs, with each female laying about 35 eggs in multiple nests before she dies. The female eggs are laid toward the back, and the male eggs at the front. The last chamber is usually left empty to protect against predators. What do Mason Bees need? Woody debris to nest in: dead logs, brush piles, Mason Bee blocks or trays. A fresh water supply nearby. A wide variety of flowers that bloom throughout the year.

12 Mason Bee Life Cycle From March or April: The males emerge first and begin sunning themselves waiting for the females. Several consecutive warm days are needed before this occurs. Once the females emerge, feeding and mating take place. Late spring, early summer: The female bees find a suitable place to lay their eggs, either the nest where they emerged or other small holes. Fall: The female bees that laid eggs that year die, and the nests hibernate over winter. Inside the nesting chamber, the egg hatches and the larvae feeds on the food available. Once all of the food supplied is consumed, the larvae will then pupate and stay in this form, hibernating until spring when the cycle begins again.

13 Pesticides and Pollinators How do Pesticides Work? Interfere with the metabolism (how an insect uses energy from food) or behavior (how insects reproduce) of pests. Usually work by contacting the skin or shell of a pest. Some are systemic, applied to plants and then reaching pests when those plants are eaten. How long do pesticides last? Depends on many factors, including how it is designed and what the environment is like where applies. Some work immediately, while others aren t effective for days, weeks or months. Many modern pesticides break down quickly, preventing their buildup in soils and animals. When do pesticides harm pollinators? Used in the wrong place. Used in the wrong amount. Used at the wrong time.

14 What is a Pollinator Hedgerow? What benefits do Hedgerows provide? A hedgerow with many different kinds of plants will provide flowers as a source of food for pollinators all year long. A hedgerow with lots of woody plants will provide nesting materials for pollinators all year long. If farmers do not spray pesticides on a hedgerow, it provides a refuge for pollinators. Hedgerows can also provide food and shelter to birds. When a hedgerow is planted between the farm and the stream, it can act as a buffer, helping to filter pollution, slow runoff, and shade and cool the stream.

15 Working Pollinators: Tansy Ragwort and the Cinnabar Moth Why is the Tansy Ragwort a problem? Tansy Ragwort is a pasture weed. Alough it is pretty, it is toxic to cattle and horses. How does the Cinnabar Moth help? The caterpillar larvae of the Cinnabar moth eat Tansy Ragwort so heavily that the flower has a hard time surviving. Bringing Cinnabar moths here helps control the Tansy ragwort. How can we help the Cinnabar Moths fight Tansy? Like other pollinators, Cinnabar Moths need food, shelter, and protection from dieseases, predators and parasites.

16 1. Name 3 Pollinators. Trivia Questions! 2. What can threaten pollinator habitats? 3. What native plant does the Blue Fender Butterfly eat? 4. How do Mason Bees pollinate? 5. What is Tansy Ragwort? 6. What is a pollinator hedgerow?