Pollinator Habitat Guide Pollinator Habitat Guide

Pollinator Habitat Guide Pollinator Habitat Guide A Publica on of Earth Partnership University of Wisconsin-Madison 2018 Based on the original Earth Partnership curriculum Authors: Cheryl Bauer-Armstrong and Claire Shaller Bjork Editor: Craig Ficenec Technical advising also provided by: Taylor Creek Restora on Nurseries, Inc. and Pheasants Forever Sponsors: Development of the original Earth Partnership curriculum was made possible by: Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment Na onal Science Founda on Patrick and Anna M. Cudahy Founda on Wisconsin Coastal Management Program Friends of the Arboretum Wisconsin Environmental Educa on Board Howard Hughes Medical Ins tute Wisconsin ESEA Improving Teacher Quality Program Ins tute of Museum and Library Service Wisconsin Sea Grant Ins tute for Biology Educa on U.S. Environmental Protec on Agency Morgridge Center for Public Service U.S. EPA Great Lakes Restora on Ini a ve Copyright Informa on The intellectual property in the Earth Partnership curriculum is held by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. These materials are intended for distribu on only as part of an Earth Partnership ins tute, workshop, in-service or other teacher professional development program. Wri en permission must be obtained to use, reproduce, distribute or modify the materials in this guide. A Note about Earth Partnership Earth Partnership (EP), originally known as “Earth Partnership for Schools,” began in 1991 as a way for teachers to engage students in living the land ethic embodied by Aldo Leopold and the UW-Madison Arboretum. While involving people in learning and stewardship is s ll the founda on of EP, the program has con nued to evolve. EP now works to more inten onally include diverse cultural perspec ves on stewardship and restora on and to off er learning opportu- ni es that are valuable to learners of diff erent ages, languages and ecological and cultural places. Earth Partnership is not limited to learning in schools. Engaging the community in the restora on process is a vital step, and we encourage community educators, families and individuals to use this guide to help learn more about restora on and approaches to teaching stewardship to others. Some elements, such as learning objec ves, educa onal standards and assessments will be most valuable to K-12 educators. Ac vi es are wri en with the audience being referred to as “students,” although there is no reason that these ac vi es cannot be shared with adults and learners of all ages. Earth Partnership’s model for mul cultural engagement emphasizes the “4R’s” (Respect, Reciprocity, Rela onship, and Responsibility), which formed the development of Indigenous Arts and Sciences, La no Earth Partnership, and ¬Global Earth Partnership. Earth Partnership: Indigenous Arts & Sciences (IAS) delivers culturally responsive informal science educa on to inspire youth to pursue STEM interests and tribal careers in collabora on with Red Cliff , Bad River, Lac du Flambeau, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Ho-Chunk Na ons. IAS integrates indigenous knowledge and community cultural connec ons to reframe and reclaim science learning in tribal communi es. The project convenes tribal educators, elders, and natural resource personnel with university social, physical, and life scien sts. Partners design, implement, and test learning se- quences incorpora ng indigenous processes of restoring, preserving, and connec ng to the land. IAS engages communi es in providing relevant science learning through community dialogues, rela onship building, informal-formal educator collabora ons, and educator professional development centered on responsive science teaching and learning. Earth Partnership: La no Earth Partnership (LEP) integrates culturally relevant Earth Partnership place and project-based curricula and resources with school- and community-iden fi ed priori es. LEP employs resource, asset, and strength-based approaches that engage youth in environmental stewardship through the integra on of Spanish language, cultural perspec ves and experience, and hands-on experiences with ecological restora on educa on. The original Earth Partnership curriculum follows a 10-step process (see diagram on preceding page) for restoring ecological communi es on schoolyards, public lands and natural areas. The guide weaves environmental knowledge and skills into core curriculum and assessment leading to the development and of a na ve restora on and outdoor space for learning. The lessons are complete with educa on standards and student assessment ideas. Each ac vity in the guide includes objec ves, a background sec on, direc ons, assessment ideas, relevant fi eld sheets, as well as op ons for extensions. This guide is a companion guide that focuses on pollinator habitat restora on; other companion guides and ac vi- es focus on woodland restora on, water stewardship, rain gardens, ecology, and art. In many ac vi es, you will see other EP ac vi es referenced. Some will be in this guide, but others will not. To access these other ac vi es, visit the EP Curriculum Dropbox online. There, you can fi nd complete versions of companion guides as well as an alphabe cal directory of all EP ac vi es. You can also fi nd addi onal printable ac vity materials referenced in the guide. EP Curriculum Dropbox Link: h p://go.wisc.edu/b02p69 Contents Pollinators: An Ecological Partner in Peril . .1 Pollinator Botany Bouquet . .3 More or Less: Impacts of Habitat Restoration . .6 Observations from a Single Spot . .20 Conducting a Community Assessment . .22 Getting the Word Out . .24 Telling the Restoration Story . .26 Noting Notable Features . .28 What’s Possible? Analyzing Existing Vegetation . .35 Soil Texture Feel Test: Identifying Soil for a Pollinator Habitat Restoration . .37 Designing a Habitat Restoration . .39 What’s a Square Foot Anyway? . .43 Species Selection . .46 How Much Seed Do I Need? . .52 Balancing the Budget . .54 Site Preparation Techniques . .56 Site Preparation Scenarios . .59 Seeds to Seedlings: Seed Collection . .62 Seeds to Seedlings: Seed Cleaning and Storage . .64 Seeds to Seedlings: Propagating Seedlings in the Classroom . .66 Sowing Seed for a Pollinator Habitat . .71 Planting Native Plants . .73 Managing Your Habitat Restoration . .75 Young Restoration Check-up . .79 Contents Monitoring Your Restoration . .81 Insect Charades . .85 Sweeping Discoveries . .88 Pollination Observations . .90 Appendix: National Educational Standards (NGSS and Common Core) . .95 Pollinators: An Ecological Partner in Peril A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the bio c community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. ~ Aldo Leopold, “The Land Ethic” (1949) A bee in search of food approaches a plant, lured by the bright colors of its blossoms and tantalizing aroma. The bee lands on a fl ower, and as it consumes the plant’s nectar, its hairy body becomes coated in pollen from the plant’s stamens (male reproduc ve part). Momentarily sa sfi ed, the bee departs the plant but is soon in search of food again. When the bee fi nds another plant to feed on, the pollen that is stuck to this fl ying feeder rubs against the s gma (female reproduc ve part) of the fl ower. This contact makes fer liza on between plants possible, and the opportunity for the fl ower to become a seed-bearing fruit is born. Bees are just one example of pollinators. Bu erfl ies, hummingbirds, fl ies, bats, and spiders are just some of the many animals that help aid plant fer liza on. Some na ve plants - or plants “in the wild” - depend on animal pollina on, as do many of our food crops. In fact, over seventy-fi ve percent of all fl owering plants are pollinated by animals (wind is the other main mech- anism for pollina on). Without animal pollinators, there would be a dras c loss of food for humans and wildlife alike. From almonds to blueberries, to alfalfa to sunfl owers, many of our food crops would suff er or even disappear without pollinators. And for wildlife that consumes fruits, seeds, and the pollinators themselves, the loss of these animals would be a staggering ecological blow. Pollinators face a variety of threats, ranging from parasites to disease to pes cides, and na ve pollinators are par cularly vul- nerable to the loss of suitable habitat. Pollinators, like all animals, need shelter and food sources to survive. Na ve pollinators o en require certain habitat condi ons such as deadwood or undisturbed ground for nes ng, host plants for laying eggs, and specifi c types of wildfl owers to provide meals of nectar and pollen. Some examples of why the habitat for pollinators is lower than it needs to be to support healthy popula ons include: • Urbaniza on and habitat fragmenta on • Reduced crop diversity and fewer habitat areas on agricultural lands • Loss of na ve plants and increase of hybridized and invasive species In order to help pollinators rebound and thrive, we must create and maintain niches of ecological diversity in both urban and agricultural se ngs. Native Plants: A Natural Fit for Pollinators There are many diff erent approaches to habitat restora on, and you’ll see diff erent ones outlined in this guide. The common element between all these approaches is emphasizing the use of na ve plants. By defi ni on, na ve plants have grown in an area for a long me, and they have adapted to the par cular condi ons of their ecosystem. That long period of adapta on also means that the plants have co-evolved with other organisms. In the case of pollinators, that means that while plants have adapted to reproduce via animal pollina on, pollinators have also adapted to gain sustenance and shelter from those plants. Thousands of years of growing and changing alongside one another has resulted in a mutually benefi cial ecological rela onship for both plant and pollinator.

Load more