© Lora Denis
Bumblebee on purple coneflower © Matt Jenkins.
I am sipping coffee and munching an apple as I write this blog. To enjoy such daily pleasures, we rely on pollinators. In fact, about one of every three bites of food we eat depends on insect pollinators. Unfortunately, the populations of insect pollinators like bumblebees and honeybees are declining.
Monarch butterfly and asters © Marie C Fields, Shutterstock
Every once in a while when I am walking through Thickson’s Woods in Whitby, I catch a glimpse of gold dancing over the meadow. Tragically, these magical encounters are becoming uncommon. The dramatic population decline of monarchs is of concern to scientists and naturalists, and of interest to the media.
Crocuses are finally poking up through their winter hiding places. Ontarians can rejoice: spring is here and summer is right around the corner. Soon the air will fill with the humming and fluttering of pollinators including bees, butterflies and birds.