Perfect Pollinators: Who are they and why they matter in Washington - PDF document

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 class- rooms 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 butterfmy, 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 Hufg, Conservation Educator, Chantel.Hufg@tualatinswcd.org or 503-334-2288. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Vocabulary Words Pollinators: Insects and animals that eat nectar and pollen, or come into contact with fmowers. Move pollen from one fmower 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 fmowering plants bordering a fjeld, road or other area that takes the place of a fence. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Who Are the Pollinators? Bees Birds Bats ong- Mason Bee Anna’s Hummingbird Western Longeared s Myotis Butterfmies Moths Beetles Ceranemota rumbi ue Fender’s Blue Ceranemota Rumbi Paracotalpa Granicollis “Little Bears” collis Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

What do People and Pollinators Both Need? Food Water Shelter Nursery Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

What Can Threaten Pollinator Habitats? Invasive Species Development Pesticides Farms Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

What is the Risk? Lower Food Less Wild Production Forage Plant Fewer Insects Biodiversity Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Protecting the Fender’s Blue Butterfmy History of the Fender’s Blue Butterfmy • The Fender’s Blue Butterfmy is only found in the upland prairies of the Willamette Valley in western Oregon. • The butterfmy was fjrst documented in 1929, and then was listed on the Endanged Species list in 2000. • Here in Washington County they were found near Hagg Lake in 2011. Its native habitats are fjre 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. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Protecting the Fender’s Blue Butterfmy 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 fjre 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: https:/ /instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/icb344/abstracts/fenders-blue.htm Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Fender’s Blue Butterfmy Life Cycle ena Life Cycle of the Fender’s Blue Butterfmy 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. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Protecting Mason Bees Mason Bees are difgerent 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 ofg of them easily into other fmowers. • Mason bees are active early in the Spring when it is too cold for honey bees, and this is when orchard trees have fmowers. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

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 fmowers that bloom throughout the year. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Mason Bee Life Cycle From http:/ /www.nativepollinator.com/ • March or April: The males emerge fjrst 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 fjnd 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. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

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 efgective 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. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

What is a Pollinator Hedgerow? What benefjts do Hedgerows provide? • A hedgerow with many difgerent kinds of plants will provide fmowers 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 bufger, helping to fjlter pollution, slow runofg, and shade and cool the stream. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

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 fmower has a hard time surviving. • Bringing Cinnabar moths here helps control the Tansy ragwort. How can we help the Cinnabar Moths fjght Tansy? • Like other pollinators, Cinnabar Moths need food, shelter, and protection from dieseases, predators and parasites. Presentation made by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District