Sabrina M

A tidy fall yard can look harmless, but for many pollinators it is a disaster. When every leaf is raked, bagged, shredded, and hauled away, a whole winter habitat disappears with it. Fallen leaves are not yard waste to a bee, butterfly, moth, beetle, or fly. They are shelter, camouflage, insulation, and food for the soil life that supports the plants pollinators visit later. A layer of leaves under trees and shrubs can hold next year’s wings. Leaving leaves does not mean giving up on a...

North America once thrived with rich plant and insect biodiversity that supported vital ecosystem services such as water regulation and nutrient cycling. This diversity created resilient ecosystems that sustained both wildlife and human communities. Over time, European colonization triggered widespread land conversion for agriculture and urban development, leading to significant habitat loss and a sharp decline in biodiversity. This loss threatens the very ecosystem services that people...

Pollinators are essential to the food we eat and the health of our environment. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and small mammals carry pollen from flower to flower, enabling plants to reproduce. This natural process supports one out of every three bites of food we consume and sustains ecosystems that provide clean air, prevent soil erosion, and store carbon. Despite their importance, pollinator populations are declining worldwide due to habitat loss, pollution, disease, and climate...