Pollinator species like bees, butterflies, beetles and moths are on the decline worldwide, largely due to habitat loss and the use of agrochemicals. The key to combating this great population loss is education and advocacy. Luckily, there's a new guidebook on the shelves, "Pollinators of the American West," and some of its authors are going to be at the Bookworm this week.
Learn about the pollinators in our area and the American West from experts from Denver Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Pavilion, in celebration of the release of their new guidebook. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation, so bring all of your burning bee, butterfly, and beetle questions, and light refreshments will be provided.
Coloradans are fortunate that two incredible education and conservation focused groups, Denver Botanic Gardens and Butterfly Pavilion, are located in our state and work together like the flora and fauna they represent. "Pollinators and plants have such close ties," Shiran Hershcovich, Senior Lepidopterist Manager at Butterfly Pavilion, said. "They have co-evolved for millenia, and depend on each other for survival and growth. So having Denver Botanic Gardens and Butterfly Pavilion team up on this guide was such a natural combination. The combined expertise of both of these locations serves to create a comprehensive approach to understanding pollinators."
In the face of climate change, understanding our pollinators' crucial roles in our ecosystems, agriculture, and more could help motivate efforts for their conservation. "Pollinators are responsible for helping plants reproduce," Hershcovich said. "We depend on the survival of pollinators for critical services like the food that we eat and even the air that we breathe. Learning about them and developing an interest in them becomes so important in these times of changing climates and habitat loss so we can document their presence, absence, habits, and more. Plus, developing a curiosity for them may turn into fascination that may ultimately push us to conserve them."
With "Pollinators of the American West" in hand, you can find and identify local pollinators practically anywhere. "Pollinators are out there hiding everywhere," Hershcovich said. "That's what makes them so accessible to learn about. They're in our schools and parking lots and lawns and parks. The most common pollinators definitely change depending on where you are and what kind of space you are in, so keep your eyes open and get to know your local tiny neighbors by using this field guide."
Hershcovich hopes that after attending the event and reading the guidebook, readers will be inspired to join the fight for pollinator conservation. "Pollinators are facing many difficulties," Hershcovich said. "From a changing climate to the widespread use of pesticides, it has been a difficult time for pollinator populations. Protecting pollinators is for everyone; we can all learn about them, see beauty in them, monitor them, and conserve them."