2 Million Blossoms

2MILLION

BLOSSOprotect our pollinatorsMS

WINTER 2021 Seeds for pollinator habitat

ernstseed.com [email protected] BEEpothecary.US 800-873-3321 In This Issue

Winter GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS by Erin E. Hunter Cover ,QVHFWVDQG:LOGÁRZHUVRIWKH*XDGDOXSH0RXQWDLQVZDVLQVSLUHGE\DUHVLGHQF\DWWKHSDUN

ARTIST’S PERSPECTIVE by Erin E. Hunter 9 The Guadalupe Mountains.

A SEASON OF SURPRISES by Amy Yarger 13 What to expect in a winter pollinator garden.

BEYOND THE HIVE by Rusty Burlew 17 Dahlias for your pollinator garden.

TIPTOEING THROUGH THE FAIRY FILLED POOLS by Sarah Red-Laird 28 The restoration of vernal pools by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

BEES UNDER WATER by Andy Carstens 39 :LOOSROOLQDWRUVUHWXUQDIWHUVHYHUHÁRRGLQJ"

FLYING JEWELS by Leslie Spencer 44 Falling in love with orchid bees.

FLAMES BRING THE FUTURE by Brigette Brown 49 Fire in the Pine Barrens.

STINGLESS BEES by Segers & Grueter 55 Revealing the secrets of their societies.

WHAT’S BUGGING by Rusty Burlew 60 6DZÁLHV³WKHIRUJRWWHQ+\PHQRSWHUDQV

NECTAR’S BITE by Jimmy Brancho 65 Plants aren’t afraid to cheat to attract a pollinator.

PYCNANTHEMUM by Bill Johnson 70 The many visitors to Virginia mountain mint.

PARTY CRASHERS by C.L. Fornari 74 +RZVHOIVHHGHUVFUHDWHJDUGHQFHOHEUDWLRQV

BEE FEARLESS by Mark Winston 78 A book review.

NOT SUITABLE EVERYWHERE by Claudia Garrido 81 Common principles, yet individual solutions when planting for pollinators.

COMMUNITY BUILT ON CONNECTION by Sarah Common & Staff 85 +LYHVIRU+XPDQLW\UHVKDSHVGRZQWRZQ

1 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS

In This Issue

CARNIVOROUS MAMMALS by Sheryl Normandeau 90 Atypical pollinators in South Africa.

POLLINATOR PATHWAYS by Greta Burroughs 93 Restoring an ecosystem.

A SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR by Brigette Brown 101 An interview with our founder.

SUBSCRIPTIONS The views expressed in the magazine are those of the con- Annual Digital Subscription $20 tributors and not necessarily the editor. We are always US Annual Print Subscription $35 open to submissions. Consider advertising in 2 Million Student Print Subscription $18 Blossoms if you want to reach avid gardeners, pollinator Canadian Print Subscription $55 enthusiasts, and individuals interested in sustainability. International Print Subscription $60 This magazine is published by Protect our Pollinators, LLC, To order visit us online at: a private limited liability company. 2 Million Blossoms nei- 2MillionBlossoms.com/subscribe ther endorses nor accepts any responsibility for the content of the advertisements featured in the magazine. Or send a check made out to: Protect our Pollinators Published by Protect our Pollinators, LLC, 42 Stannard Ave Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. Branford, CT 06405 ISSN: 2689-5889 (print) Subscriptions now available for multiple years. If you 2689-5897 (online) like this magazine, please share it, recommend it, gift it. Niche publications need reader support.

EDITOR Dr. Kirsten S. Traynor [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/2MBlossoms instagram.com/2MillionBlossoms twitter.com/2MBlossoms

2 Million Blossoms is printed by Modern Litho using vegetable-based inks onto paper which has been sourced from well-managed and sus- tainable forests. Modern Litho is a G7® Master Qualiﬁed Printer and holds renewable resource FSC® and SFI Chain-of-Custody® Certiﬁca- tions. This magazine was printed using wind powered electricity.

2 EDITORIAL

A Brief Word

elcome to 2021! We sincerely hope this year to start the Kane Fund, I looked him up and found his mail- will dawn bright and cheerful, and we can ing address, sending him all four issues we had produced so shortly resume in-person meetings and hug far. When I returned to my parent’s home in mid December, our family and friends again. We’ve been I found a large envelope waiting for me, which contained hardW at work improving the magazine and a hand-written letter. “Kirsten,” my former tweaking its design based on feedback from mentor wrote, “if anything can be good, I readers and graphic designers. You’ll notice went back to painting.” He had enclosed six all of our captions have now been moved copies of original paintings, including three outside the image, we’ve improved our he made of the UV light photography we magazine header for legibility, and we’ve featured in our summer issue. I am deeply had a new logo designed. touched that our friendship has survived. Although 2020 was a rocky year in many “Many people I thought were there for me,” ways, the hardships also reminded us of he wrote, “turned their back on me.” Some- what is important. We’re extremely grateful times due to unfortunate circumstances, life for all our early adopters, our family and SXWV SHRSOH LQ GLIÀFXOW VLWXDWLRQV EH\RQG friends, and all of our amazing contribu- their control. So with the Kane Fund, we tors, who share their enthusiasm for science hope to bring a little light to those who rare- and pollinators. And despite the weirdness ly have the chance to bask in the warmth of of 2020, it was the year this magazine came the sun. into existence. It ended on a high note for us. We participated in a pitch competition at Arizona State University in December and the magazine Fire & Floods won the grand prize, securing important seed funding to help In this issue we delve into how pollinators survive and revamp our website. So stay tuned. It should soon be easier recover after extreme weather events. Science writer Andy to manage your account online. Carstens takes us to St. Vrain Greenway in Colorado’s Front Due to a generous donation, the magazine has created the 5DQJHZKLFKZDVLQXQGDWHGE\DÁDVKÁRRGLQ6HSWHPEHU Kane Fund, named in honor of an inmate who discovered a 2013. In Brigette Brown’s article “Flames Bring the Future” love of bees while incarcerated. This fund allows us to pro- ZHWUDYHOWRWKH3LQH%DUUHQVRI 1HZ-HUVH\VKDSHGE\ÀUH vide free subscriptions of the magazine to individuals cur- Sarah Red-Laird of the Bee Girl Organization shows us the rently imprisoned in the United States. If you have an incar- unique habitat of vernal pools and how the Oregon Depart- cerated family member or friend, who would enjoy receiving ment of Transportation is restoring a tract of 200 acres of a complimentary subscription, please contact us with their wetlands. name and mailing address. To learn more about this fund or I very much hope you enjoy our winter issue, which we’ve to donate to support more prison subscriptions, please visit: packed with numerous gardening articles, a delightful piece https://www.2millionblossoms.com/prisonersfund. on stingless bees, a look at how plants can manipulate their It takes great strength to maintain a positive outlook on pollinators with caffeine and microbes, and so much more. OLIHZKLOHLVRODWHGEHKLQGEDUV0\YHU\ÀUVWEHHNHHSLQJPHQ- tor, who taught me how to make nucs and enjoy sweating Happy Reading, away on a warm spring day while working bees, has found Kirsten S. Traynor himself imprisoned. When I received the generous donation

3 Tune in to the new 2 Million Blossoms Podcast

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A SEASON OF SURPRISES

by Amy Yarger

or many of my fellow gardening enthusiasts, the Even if winter usually conjures bleak fancies of bare onset of winter is especially problematic this year. stems and frozen ground, the reality of the season is de- The natural world has been a much-needed balm lightfully complex. Just because we don’t see pollinators fly- during 2020’s difficult and uncertain times. Taking ing around and visiting flowers during the cold season, that Fjoy in the color, music, and dance of a pollinator garden is al- doesn’t mean nobody’s home. Bumble bee queens huddle in ways a hopeful act, a way to sustain and celebrate biodiversity cozy underground burrows while the snow rages outside. Al- without straying too far from home. But what is a gardener most a third of solitary bees inhabit the soft stems of plants, to do when the days grow short and cold? And more impor- like golden currant, during the cold season. Other pollinators, tantly, what are the pollinators doing? such as soldier beetles, wait out the season as pupae in the soil. Depending on the species, butterflies may overwinter as larvae, pupae or even—like the mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)—as adults. On the occasional warm, sunny winter day, look out for adult mourning cloaks emerging from their sheltered spots to forage for tree sap. For all of these animals, shelter is the most important resource a habitat garden can provide during the winter. Many people assume there is nothing to see outdoors between November and March. To battle this preconception, I find myself spreading the gospel of the winter garden. Outdoor gardens during the winter months can be exciting, inspiring, beautiful places, if you approach them with good design and a little knowledge. Here in Colorado, it is not un- usual to have warm days even in January. A sunny winter day can be crystalline, or as one of our members told me once,

© Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons Descouens, Wikimedia © Didier “severe clear.” On days like that, our habitat gardens are a symphony of blue, white, and gold. And suddenly, it is easier Male mourning cloak butterfly 13 2 Million Blossoms © Amy Yarger

Many pollinators overwinter in the leaf litter Everybody, even Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, needs a little hat when it’s cold © Amy Yarger © Amy Yarger

Leaving perennial stems provides winter interest Yucca baccata is another wildlife shelter plant in all seasons 14 Digging It

Some of the many bees in the Carlinville collection

Male finch hidden in among the branches of a serviceberry

to believe that there is a lot of life going on underneath the surface. In most places, it is possible to enjoy a four-season garden with a little creativity and intention. Some woody plants, such as serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), Oregon grape (Ma- honia aquifolium), red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), and Allegheny viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghe- ny’) sport striking bark, foliage, or berries that can add winter interest to any garden. Evergreens and grasses can provide an important back- bone all year long, even once the rest of the perennials have turned to mush. The colors may not be as vivid, but the blondes, blue-greens, and dusty reds of the season look stunning against a snowfall or in the oblique winter light. Interesting seed heads from Rudbeckia or Asclepias catch the snow in sculptural ways and add texture to the garden tapestry. These colors, textures, and forms mean something else, too—habitat. Allowing plants to have their natural form provides more niches for pollinator habitat. Save the topiary for special occasions—there’s nothing more dispiriting than a snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) trimmed into the shape of a lollipop. Perennial stems and groundcovers shelter many butterfly chrysalids, while the rose hips, goldenrod

15 2 Million Blossoms

seeds, and other remnants of the harvest season are an important source of food for birds. I’m the horticultural director at the Butter- fly Pavilion in Colorado. In our outdoor gardens, the horticulturists forgo the traditional fall garden cleanup in order to support overwintering habitat for birds and beneficial insects. Instead of chopping everything to the ground at the first freeze, our gardeners remove only sick or damaged plants in the fall and wait until new foliage and food sources emerge to remove last year’s growth. If we must remove old stems in the fall in specific locations, we reduce the intensity of cleanup by leaving 12 inches of stem behind. By waiting until spring greens up, we leave shelter and structure intact for the pollinators and other wildlife, as well as our own enjoyment. © Amy Yarger The season between leaf drop and green shoots goes by fast, and there is still plenty to Structure and shelter are important in winter gardens do even without fall cleanup. Instead of raking and removing fallen leaves, we often end up Drought is also a winter concern in our region. On warm- moving leaves from where we don’t want them er days, we take some time to water trees and shrubs to pre- (lawn, pathways) to where we do. Perennials vent drought damage, especially if they are newly planted. We that are more sensitive to cold benefit from prune our trees so that they can withstand the challenges of that extra layer of leaf mulch. pests, diseases, and harsh weather. Cut down your butterfly bushes (Buddleia spp.) in January or February. Blooms will appear on new wood next summer. Between these tasks and the onslaught of gardening catalogs, there’s barely enough time before the whole cycle begins again. If you want to see pollinators when spring blossoms re- turn, maintaining a winter habitat is key. But we also appre- ciate winter for winter’s sake and the pause it inserts that allows us to think and reflect. Winter can be a time when other garden qualities—like the curved arc of tree’s trunk— suddenly rise to the forefront and what we formerly took for granted surprises and delights us. Winter gives us time to daydream about the sleeping bees under our feet, when we can unleash our inner wildlife tracker and garden designer. It’s not all about growth. Sometimes the earth needs to take a breath, and gardeners do too.

Amy Yarger has worked in the public horticulture field since 1996. She received a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine and then went on to study plant-pollinator inter- actions at the University of Michigan. Her work at Butterfly Pavilion, where she has served as horticulture director since 2006, touches on many of her passions: plants, insects, habitat conservation and

Ribes aureum has soft stems for nesting bees 16 TIPTOEING THROUGH the Fairy Filled Pools

by Sarah Red-Laird © National Honey Board

28 Pollinator Places

The name “Oregon Department of Transportation” most likely conjures up images of workers clad in fluorescent vests and hard hats standing among orange cones and ushering you through a highway construction project.

What you most likely will not associate with ODOT is acres of pristine and in-tact wetland habitat, giving homes to millions of flowers and hundreds of thousands of bees.

29 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS

ut this is exactly what ODOT is stewarding near the base of the Table Rocks in Central Point, Or- The Superstars of the egon, on land adjacent to The Nature Conservan- cy’s Whetstone Savannah Preserve. Southern Oregon Vernal Pools BThe “Vernal Pool Mitigation and Conservation Bank” is 196 acres of vernal pool habitat, managed by ODOT, for the purposes of wetland and listed species mitigation. Vernal Fairy Shrimp SRROVDUHDORFDOO\VLJQLÀFDQWW\SHRI ZHWODQGWKDWVXSSRUWV The fairy shrimp Branchinecta lynchi are almost unique plants and macro-invertebrate communities, includ- invisible to the naked eye, but can be found by ing three state and federal protected species: vernal pool seeing the tiny shadow they cast on the bottom fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi), Cook’s desert parsley of the pool on a sunny day. They flit through the pools belly up, with their 11 pairs of leaf-like also known as agate desert parsley (Lomatium cookii), and swimming legs, whirling about while they feed on ODUJHÁRZHUHGZRRO\PHDGRZIRDP Limnanthes pumila spp. microscopic algae and plankton. JUDQGLÁRUD Every time a sensitive wetland area—or an area with list- The Nature Conservancy, which manages an ad- ed species—is removed to build a road, straighten a curve, jacent property, invites families to pull on pairs of or otherwise plowed under for ODOT construction, it must wellies every early spring and guides the curious be replaced or mitigated. This is Oregon state law as well as kids and adults gently through the restoration site to spot these illusive and ancient creatures. federal law. Restoring an adjacent acre or two here and there But don’t let the name mislead you. Though their does not do much good, as weedy grasses can re-envelop a habitats have been decimated, and they are listed small project site in no time. So ODOT purchased a 200-acre as threatened, these creatures are tough! They ranch to work on as a “wetland bank” and “conservation can go into diapause for years waiting for their bank.” pools to fill. I’ve even heard of tales of their eggs When wetlands need to be removed from one area for hitching rides to new pools on the bottom of road development, an identical amount of acreage is “de- truck tires. posited” into this large, in-tact and well-managed vernal pool Desert Parsley wetland system. This mitigation bank system ensures that all The endangered desert parsley Lomatium cookii is the wetlands are recreated or restored up front and ODOT endemic to Southern Oregon. This yellow flower, earns credits that can be redeemed when they must replace belonging to the carrot family, only grows in two wetlands in future projects. Just like a regular bank account, valleys: the Illinois Valley to our North, and the Rogue Valley—where the vernal pool project sits.

Not only does this stout little ﬂower feed bees, humans have long used it and its relatives as a food source and medicine. Plants of the genus Lomatium have been utilized for upper respiratory infections, including inﬂuenza and tuberculosis. A few species in the genus demonstrate strong overall antibacterial and antiviral activity. Several species in the genus, commonly known as biscuit- root, have edible roots that formed an important part of the diets of many Native American tribes.1

Large-Flowered Wooly Meadowfoam The large-flowered wooly meadowfoam Limnan- thes pumila sp. grandiflora smells like marshmal- lows and grows close to the ground to fill in the empty space that the drying pools leave behind in the spring. The flower is as adorable as its name suggests. This fast bloomer is filled with a deli- cate fuzz and is a favorite of Apis mellifera and Systoechus (wooly bee fly). Though tiny, the oils within these seeds have a similar composition to the oil of the sperm whale, a highly sought after product for aeronautics and cosmetics.2 The 200-acre ranch purchased by ODOT as a vernal pool restoration bank, which gave the transportation department a 196 acre credit for future restoration projects 30 POLLINATOR PLACES © Sarah Red-Laird © Sarah

A honey bee enjoys the beautiful multicolored blooms of Collinsia, an extremely important resource to newly merged queen bumble bees in early spring the wetland bank carries a credit balance. Once all the credits public. Vernal pool systems are small, often on private land, are used up—all 196 acres—the site will be donated to a land usually geographically isolated, and like most wetlands, stand management organization, like The Nature Conservancy or in the way of real estate development since the passage of the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, to manage in per- the Clean Water Act in 1972. Another hindrance to develop- petuity, i.e. forever. ment (and a bane to many land owners) was the Endangered This vernal pool property is a unique and beautiful mix of oak woodland, oak savannah, and open prairie/chaparral habitat with vernal pools occurring throughout the site. Six acres of the property were intact and did not require restoration when ODOT began the project to restore and en- hance the vernal pool basins, swales, and mounds in 2011. They completed full restoration of the remaining 190 acres Red-Laird © Sarah as of the fall of 2019. I was oblivious that vernal pool conservation in Southern Oregon could unleash controversy until I mentioned that I would be working on a project near the pools at Whetstone Savannah at a local beekeeping meeting. A beekeeper piped XSDQGWROGPHWKDWZKHQHYHUVKHÀQGVDYHUQDOSRRORQKHU ODQGVKHSURPSWO\´ÀOOVLWZLWKKRUVHVK WµWRNHHSWKH´JRY- ernment” from telling her what she can and can’t do on her land. Another person overhearing our conversation asked, “are those the obnoxious puddles that take way too long to dry up every year?” Compared to less charismatic ecosystems such as forests and rivers, vernal pools may seem to have little value to the The tools of the sampling trade 31 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS

Species Act of 1973, and the discovery of listed vernal pool fairy shrimp in our vernal pools, which thus mandates the protection of vernal pool habitats in Southern

Oregon. Red-Laird © Sarah Vernal means appropriate to spring and indicates that these pools disappear for much for the year. Out of sight, people forget about them and their importance as a wetland ecosystem. But it’s in large part due to their ephemeral nature that vernal pools are actually an extraordinarily diverse and valuable ecosystem.

Aligned Goals Marin © Jorge Environmental stewardship and sustainability are two of ODOT’s core values, with pollinator habitats being one of the department’s priorities. As founder of the Bee Girl Organization (BGO), our primary focus is on education and bee habitat conservation. ODOT originally reached out to BGO to provide pollination services with a few honey bee hives. They were in- vesting tens of thousands of dollars on ÁRZHUVHHGVDQGZDQWHGWRPDNHVXUHWKHLU LQYHVWPHQWSDLGRII DQGWKHQHZÁRZHUV set seeds. The wetland specialist hadn’t no- ticed many bees on the site previously, and recommended they insure their botanical investment by bringing colonies to the site. So why are these three protected species even under threat? Their populations are dwindling for many of the same reason that pollinators are disappearing: increased One of the giant bumble bee queens we found on the property use of pesticides, climate change, and habitat loss due to overgrazing, unsustainable DJULFXOWXUDODQGFRPPHUFLDOH[SDQVLRQÀUH suppression, and off-highway vehicle use that compacts and destroys soil—all symptoms of the same cause, perceived lack of value by the public. Many parallels between the conservation concerns of the three protected species in the project—fairy shrimp, desert parsley, and meadowfoam—and our managed and wild bees. It would be a fascinating research project to explore the ef- © Sarah Red-Laird © Sarah fect on bees at the vernal pool restoration site. Could restoring this ecosystem, and educating the public on its value, simultaneously increase bee populations? And so BGO began to collaborate with ODOT in 2016 WRPRQLWRUEHHDEXQGDQFHDQGGLYHUVLW\REVHUYHZKLFKÁRZ- ers are the most attractive to bees, and also observe the dy- namics between honey bees, solitary bees, and bumble bees on the restoration project.

Our family day event brought out some fabulous insect collectors 32 POLLINATOR PLACES

What Bees Do We Find? Annual tracking of this data helps to provide informa- Bees at the Vernal Pools tion to ODOT project managers on the restoration’s success. If there is a continually increasing diversity and abundance The majority of bees at this restoration project of pollinators on the restored vernal pool site, compared to are ground-nesting bees. As with most restoration projects, the process to re-create the ecosystem the adjacent “control” sites, then the restoration is a success. included significant earth moving. Our theory is The species data being collected is also highly valuable to the that not only has the introduction of dozens of bee conservation community, as little is known of pollinator new flower varieties favored more bee abundance diversity in vernal pool systems. All bee samples that are not and diversity, but over the years the now undis- retained for BGO’s educational collections are submitted to turbed soil has also let the bees settle (or re-set- the Oregon Bee Atlas.3 tle) in their homes. Some species of bees will nest ,KDYHFROOHFWHGEHHDQGÁRZHUGDWDWKURXJKDFRPELQD- in groups of thousands of individuals, re-using the tion of pan traps, blue vane traps, and observational tran- same nest site for dozens of years. Such abundant 4 VHFWV³ZKHUH , LGHQWLI\ DQG REVHUYH EHHV YLVLWLQJ ÁRZHUV sites take many years to establish. LQVLGHDVHULHVRI RQHPHWHUSORWV2QHRI P\ÀUVWPHQWRUV Osmia 'U5REELQ7KRUSWROGPH´,WZLOOWDNHDERXWÀYH\HDUVIRU A common visitor in the vernal pool project, osmia the bees to tell you how they want to be studied on a plot of aren’t picky when it comes to nesting. They will land.” This seems to ring true. I am currently in year four and excavate soil to make their nests, excavate wood IHHOOLNH,DPÀQDOO\VWDUWLQJWRJHWWKHKDQJRI KRZWRUHDG above ground, move into other pre-made tunnels the bees in this ecosystem. like woodpecker holes, or even into safe spaces :KLOH ,·P FRQÀGHQW LQ ,'·LQJ RXU YHUQDO SRRO EHHV WR like nooks in rock piles. JHQXV,VDYHDWOHDVWRQHEHHRI HYHU\VSHFLHVWREHYHULÀHG Anthidium during taxonomy courses with the Oregon Bee Atlas. I am Wool-carder bees construct a woolen mass above incredibly thankful for all that I have learned about native or below-ground as a nest, made from plant and bees through the Atlas’s programs and about bee ID from animal fibers. As our Anthidium numbers grow, their taxonomist, Lincoln Best. I also have to mention my I’m always on the lookout for a nest weaved in a gratitude for the USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitor- branch. ing Lab’s Dr. Sam Droege, who answered at least seven bil- Anthidiellum lion questions of mine while I was beginning this project. Our newest guest is a resin bee that creates an above-ground “pot” for their brood sometimes made of pure plant resin, and other times with tiny stones, stuck together with resin. These pots are usually stuck to branches and feature a “spout” that could be an air exchange mechanism, but no one really knows! © Sarah Red-Laird © Sarah

Starting in 2017, we found nine genera of bees on the ODOT vernal pool site: Andrena, Apidae, Hylaeus, Bombus, Lasioglossum, Halictus, Megachile, Osmia, and Apis mellifera, the only Apis species in North America. Other genera have begun to appear as well. At this point, we have also collected Melissodes, Eucera, Osmia, Diadasia, Ceratina, Xy- locopa, Agapostemon, and Anthidium. Just a few weeks ago I collected one Ashmeadiella and one Anthidiellum. I’m happy to see these bees appear on the property, and excited to watch their numbers grow. Not only do the sheer numbers of bees that appear in our traps continue to increase, we are also seeing greater bee diversity, which we have not seen at our adjacent control site.

Helianthus attracts a lot of pollinator love 33 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS

The Plants Pollinators Love 2WKHU QDWLYH ÁRZHU VXSHUVWDUV RI WKH 2'27 YHUQDO SRRO As the restoration project matures, BGO also provides project are: data-based planting and plant management recommenda- • Helianthus bolanderi %RODQGHU·VVXQÁRZHU tions to ODOT to maximize pollinator habitat and health. • Trichostema (vinegarweed) The goal is to improve plantings in future vernal pool res- • Dowingia yina FDVFDGHFDOLFRÁRZHU toration, and other similar projects. We a looking for plants • Plagiobothrys SRSFRUQÁRZHU that: • Asclepias fascicularis (narrow-leaved milkweed) • Are available during a nectar and pollen dearth, when little else is blooming $VWKHSRROVÀOODQGWKHÁRZHUVVXFFHHGVZDWKVRI FRORU • Attract a diversity of pollinators paint the landscape. In a vernal pool system, there is almost • Attract an abundance of pollinators always something blooming for pollinators. The aforemen- • Attract a specialist pollinator tioned plants bloom and wilt in synchronicity like a smoothly transitioned baton in a relay race. :HGLVFRYHUHGWKDWODUJHÁRZHUHGEOXHH\HG0DU\Col- OLQVLDJUDQGLÁRUD, is an extremely important resource to new- Pollinator Preference ly emerged queen bumble bees, who need pollen and nectar Nature is, however, not always a perfectly predictable and VRXUFHVLQRUGHUWRIRXQGWKHLUQHVW%DVHGRQRXUÀQGLQJV controllable dance. Not yet mentioned is the controversial ODOT is considering adjusting their management schedule Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal). This non-native, aggressive LQDOORI 5HJLRQWRDOORZWKHÁRZHUWRÀQLVKEORRPLQJEH- plant is without a doubt the most popular plant with our fore mowing. vernal pool pollinator gang. Though its nectar and pollen nu- trient density is unknown, the plant itself is dense in phytochemicals5 and essential oils,6 which is perhaps the reason it is so wildly popular with so many bees. Pennyroyal is growing in a seasonal swale that bisects the vernal pool property. Although the same vernal pool patterned ground of mounds and pools can be seen throughout the swale, its SURORQJHG LQXQGDWLRQ DQG VHDVRQDO ÁRZ SUR- motes wet prairie habitat, providing space for a GLIIHUHQWVXLWHRI ÁRZHUVIURPWKHVXUURXQGLQJ YHUQDOSRROV6RZKLOHSHQQ\UR\DOLVDÀHUFHFRP- petitor to our native species, it does not directly compete with our listed vernal pool and may even help by providing mid to late season nectar and pollen to our pollinators. The project’s wetland specialist has decided to let it continue to grow at the site, as the data that points to its importance for pollinators is undeniable. Posting photos of this bee-clad plant always gets a lively conversation started on social media on the topic of native vs. non-native species and their importance in the macro and mirco-scale. Through social media, I am able to engage tens of thousands of people a month with my stories and photos of the vernal pools, hoping to garner more understanding and less horse poo for these fascinating areas.

The controversial pennyroyal is much loved by many pollina-

Sampling efforts involve placing one meter square measuring squares made of PVC and surveying the plants and pollinators spotted inside, plus sweep netting, which takes patience and practice. Look at the beautiful pollinators they spot. Work boots and high spirits required!

A group of volunteers participate in sampling for the “Take Your Kid to This project requires a lot of record keeping and bee identiﬁcation. I have Work Day” where we arm the kids with their own nets and they help us become an expert at styling a bee with a hairdryer so that my pinned sample for pollinators. specimens regain their ﬂuffy appearance after their preservative bath.

The Next Generation topping the highlands, tall trees in the woodland, and short Another educational highlight of the project has been bushes lining the swale. educating kids on the importance of bees and vernal pool A study in 2018 found that restoring an (urban) area from wetlands. BGO has worked with over 15,000 kids all over a dilapidated plot of land into a green space, thriving with the world through our “Kids and Bees” project, so collabo- ÁRUDDQGIDXQDUHGXFHGORFDOUHVLGHQWV·IHHOLQJVRI GHSUHV- rating on a program for ODOT’s “Take Your Kid to Work sion, worthlessness, and poor mental health.7 In 2020, as we Day” was an easy partnership. Paul Benton, ODOT Wetland collectively struggle with our mental health, these restored Specialist and our main collaborator for this project, has or- and protected spaces are more valuable than ever.8 ganized a program for ODOT workers and their kids for the ODVWWKUHH\HDUV:KHQWKHNLGVÀUVWDUULYHWKH\DUHXVXDOO\ Ephemeral, But Long Lasting uneasy around the bee-covered landscape, but after two min- 7KRXJK ÁDWWHG ÀOOHG LQ SORZHG RYHU DQG XQGHUDSSUH- utes with a net, they become passionate, tiny entomologists. ciated for the last century, our vernal pools are wondrous In 2019 one particularly excited kiddo caught the project’s DQGHVVHQWLDOZHWODQGKDELWDWVLQWKH3DFLÀF1RUWKZHVW7KH\ ÀUVWBombus griseocollis, brown-belted bumble bee, and an- SURYLGHVSDFHIRUÁRZHUVKRPHVIRUZLOGOLIHKHDOWK\IRRG other observed a male Xylocopa carpenter bee pollinating a for pollinators, and perhaps even inspiration for the next &ROOLQVLDJUDQGLÁRUD. At that point, I had only seen Xylocopa generation of biologists. LQP\WUDSVDQGKDGQRWREVHUYHGWKHPRQDQ\ÁRZHUV At this moment, in early August, the oak trees are the only I hope that bringing kids, and their parents, to this eco- thing that hints at life when looking at the vernal pool land- system will shine a light on the value of these pools. This scape from afar. The ground is solid as a rock, and cracked. system’s small size makes it easily navigable for families to The highland hills are covered in dormant, yellow weedy explore the diversity of animals (fury, buzzy, feathered, slimy, grasses. The hot wind whips through the oak savannah and DQGVHHWKURXJK ÁRZHUYDULHWLHVULQJLQJWKHSRROHGJHVDQG blows off your constant glow of sweat. But as you walk closer, you hear life. There is the rustle of the resident jackrabbits that I call Peter and Petunia. Frank, the red-tailed hawk whisper screams at me from the top of a raggedy ponderosa pine. And then there is the hum. Above me, honey bees exchange protective services for gall wasp

© Sarah Red-Laird © Sarah honeydew in the oaks. Not too far away is the swish of a Bo- ODQGHU·VVXQÁRZHUVXSHUEORRPDEX]]ZLWKDIX]]\FORXGRI Melissodes, Bombus, Apis mellifera, Lasioglossum, Halictus, and Megachilidae.

We always have fun at the site, bringing a sense of adventure to our long hours of collecting. 36 POLLINATOR PLACES

At my feet the herbaceous and pungent Trichostema lanceolatum, vinegarweed, envelops my nose as the plant’s oils seep into the cuffs of my jeans. Another underappreciated ´ZHHGµWKDWLVDFWXDOO\DZLOGO\EHDXWLIXOQDWLYHÁRZHU7KH © Sarah Red-Laird © Sarah purple blossoms spring from sage green stems, rooted into WKHFHPHQWOLNHSRROERWWRPV,W·VWKHODVWÁRZHUWREORRPDW the vernal pool site, and will do its job feeding Apis mellifera and an array of native pollinators when nothing else will dare to grow in this harsh savannah. From years of trapping and observations, I’ve found that many of the bees who call the ODOT vernal pool restoration project home will not go more than a few feet, or yards, from their nests for food and mating. This means that HYHU\RQHRI WKHVHÁRZHUVFRXQWVDQGHYHU\XQSXPPHOHG inch of soil counts, toward supporting bee life and greater biodiversity.

References 0RRUH0 0HGLFLQDOSODQWVRI WKH3DFLÀF:HVW:HVWHUQ(GJH Press, Santa Fe. 2. Jolliff, Gary D., Tinsley, Ian J., Calhoun, Wheeler, & Crane, Jimmie M. (1981). Meadowfoam (Limnanthes): Its Research and Development as a Potential New Oilseed Crop for the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Agri- The pungent smelling vinagarweed Trichostma lanceolatum is a hearty cultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Station native ﬂower that blooms late, providing important nectar and pollen Bulletin 648. when everything else has ceased to bloom. 3. Dodge, Bob. (2007) A little about Gall Wasps: Disholcaspia prehensa Clasping Twig Gall, Cynipid wasp. www.inaturalist.org/posts/75-a-little- about-gall-wasps 4. Danforth, Bryan N., Minckley, Robert L., & Neff, John L. (2019). The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation. Princeton University Press. 104-145. 5. Aires A., Marrinhas E., Carvalho R., Dias C., Saavedra M.J. (2016). Phy- tochemical composition and antibacterial activity of hydroalcoholic ex- tracts of Pterospartum tridentatum and Mentha pulegium against Staphy- lococcus aureus isolates. BioMed Res. doi: 10.1155/2016/5201879. 6. Bouyahya A, Et-Touys A, Bakri Y, Talbaui A, Fellah H, Abrini J, Dakka N. (2017). Chemical composition of Mentha pulegium and Rosmarinus RIÀFLQDOLVHVVHQWLDORLOVDQGWKHLUDQWLOHLVKPDQLDODQWLEDFWHULDODQGDQWLR[- idant activities. Microb Pathog. 2017 Oct;111:41-49. doi: 10.1016/j.mic- path.2017.08.015. Epub 2017 Aug 15. PMID: 28821401. 7. South EC, Hohl BC, Kondo MC, MacDonald JM, Branas CC. Effect of Greening Vacant Land on Mental Health of Community-Dwell- ing Adults: A Cluster Randomized Trial. (2018). JAMA Network Open. 2018;1(3):e180298. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0298 8. Roman, Joe & Ricketts, Taylor. (2020). Twitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up. The Conversation. theconversation.com

Sarah Red-Laird is the founder of The Bee Girl Organization. She earned her degree in resource conservation from the University of Montana. She serves as program director of the “Kids and Bees”program for the Ameri-

© Sarah Red-Laird © Sarah can Beekeeping Federation. You can follow her online at beegirl.org Sarah manages a small apiary on the restoration site, which allows her to compare what plants are appreciated by honey bees and native bees. 37 Healthy Bees. Healthy Planet. Available through beekeeping supply stores. 866-483-2929 | nodglobal.com | [email protected] @NODAPIARY GOING NATIVE BEES UNDER WATER

K, anybody who stands on my right is likely © Jessica Mullins “ to get hit,” Virginia Scott said as she prepared to thwack her net across the top of blooming rabbitbrush. Then she spotted a queen rest- OLQJRQWKH\HOORZÁRZHUVDQGVWRSSHG´2K,ZDQWKHUµ she said with the kind of desire that kids show in toy store aisles. But she restrained herself. Her counterpart, Jessica Mullins, explained that capturing a new, late-season queen would end her colony before it begins. She’s stocking up on fat reserves to survive the winter and will hopefully emerge next spring to found a nest. It was early October and Virginia Scott, entomology collections manager at the University of Colorado Muse- um of Natural History, and graduate student, Jessica Mul- lins, had started their last round of bee surveys for the \HDUDORQJWKH6W9UDLQ*UHHQZD\$ÁDVKÁRRGLQ6HS- tember 2013 wreaked havoc in Colorado’s Front Range, including tearing through this greenway, a single eight-mile corridor of trails and parks that weaves through the city RI /RQJPRQW $OO WROG WKH ÁRRGV GHVWUR\HG PRUH WKDQ 1,800 homes, caused $4 billion in damage, and killed nine people. Now, Scott and Mullins are investigating how local EHHFRPPXQLWLHVDUHUHFRYHULQJIURPWKDW\HDUÁRRG St. Vrain Sundial with coneﬂowers in the foregraound 39 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS

7KHHIIHFWRI ÁRRGVRQEHHVKDVQ·WEHHQVWXGLHGZLGHO\ Scott and Mullins know of only three papers that analyzed how bees cope with inundation. All three focused on individual species, whereas Scott and Mullins believe they are the ÀUVWWRUHVHDUFKÁRRGLPSDFWVRQHQWLUHEHHFRPPXQLWLHV Scott surveyed the St. Vrain Greenway in 2012, before WKH ÁRRG ZLWK WKH JRDO RI TXDQWLI\LQJ EHH ELRGLYHUVLW\LQ the area. In many cases, scientists can’t study the aftereffects of severe weather, because—lacking a crystal ball to predict when catastrophe will strike—they don’t know to collect baseline data from beforehand. “Unless you’re Virginia,” Mullins said, joking that Scott managed to divine the future. “I am not clairvoyant,” Scott responded making light of it, but she knows her earlier work was a lucky coincidence. 6FRWWVDZWKHÁRRG·VGHVWUXFWLRQDVDQRSSRUWXQLW\WRXQ- GHUVWDQGEHHUHVLOLHQF\LQWKHIDFHRI VHYHUHÁRRGLQJ6FLHQ- WLVWVSURMHFWÁRRGLQJZLOOLQFUHDVHLQIUHTXHQF\DQGVHYHULW\ due to climate change, giving new urgency to what the team can glean from comparing bee abundance and diversity be- IRUHDQGDIWHUWKHÁRRG

© Jessica Mullins “Here’s one, yay!” Scott exclaimed after a long while of not catching any at their Weld County sampling site. After A Hunt’s bumble bee Bombus huntii found at the site in 2020 swinging her net, she pinched the end of it with one hand to trap the bee at its tip. Then she maneuvered a vial—called a 3ULRUWRWKHÁRRG6FRWWUHFRUGHGZLOGEHHVSHFLHV kill jar—into the net with her other hand. She poked the bee DOPRVWRI WKHNQRZQ&RORUDGRVSHFLHV7KHÁRRGRF- into the glass tube where it quickly suffocated in the ethyl curred at the end of the 2013 bee season, so to assess post- DFHWDWHHQYLURQPHQW0RVWEHHVQHHGWREHLGHQWLÀHGXQGHUD ÁRRGFRQGLWLRQVVKHZDLWHGXQWLOWRUHSHDWWKHVXUYH\ microscope post-mortem, though usually if scientists come She found that species diversity dropped by over 35%, down across a threatened species—like the western bumble bee— to 118 unique species collected in 2014. And the individual they use non-destructive means. This particular bee’s identity bee count decreased by almost a quarter—with over 6,600 will come later, but it’s one of about 130 sweat bee and 946 collected in 2012 and just above 5,000 in 2014. wild bee species in Colorado. These results weren’t terribly surprising considering about two-thirds of Colorado species nest LQ WKH JURXQG PXFK RI ZKLFK WKH ÁRRG St. Vrain Greenway would have saturated along the greenway. Creeks Greenway Trail Area Flooded ¯ ´3DUWVRI WKLVZHUHXQGHUZDWHUIRUÀYHRU 0120.5 Miles six days,” Scott said.

St V ra in C 0DQ\RI WKHÁRZHULQJSODQWVWKDWEHHV r ee k depend on also washed away, but at least in the fall, most bees had already completed WKHLU DQQXDO OLIHF\FOHV ´:HGLG ÀQG WKDW a lot of late-season bees disappeared, and

ek Cre I do think they were vulnerable because nd ft Ha Le they would have been larvae at the time,” 6FRWWVDLG$VSULQJÁRRGFRXOGKDYHEHHQ much worse because adults emerging from overwintering nests would have found little food for the rest of the season. © Jessica Mullins

Source: Esri Maxar GeoEye Earthstar Geographics CNES/Airbus DS USDA USGS AeroGRID IGN and the GIS User Community Extent of the September 2013 Flood of St. Vrain Greenway in Longmont, CO 40 GOING NATIVE

HUDOLVWVZHDWKHUHGWKHÁRRGZLWKOLWWOHLPSDFW,WPD\EHWKDW producing multiple generations in a season as well as gather- ing food from a variety of plants helped. But it didn’t hold across the board—other social generalists fared horribly. The larvae of some species spin cocoons, which may SURYLGHZDWHUUHVLVWDQFH7KHÁRRGLQJDORQJWKH6W9UDLQ *UHHQZD\GLGQ·WVLJQLÀFDQWO\UHGXFHOHDI FXWWLQJRUPDVRQ bee populations—both of which build cocoons. However, it’s possible they fared well because they nest primarily above ground. Because brood parasites depend on depositing eggs in the nests of host species, what happens to their host species LPSDFWVWKHP´,I ZHGRQRWÀQGDQ\SDUDVLWHVWKLVPHDQV the host population isn’t strong enough to support them,” Mullins explained. The Nomada genus experienced reduc- WLRQVDIWHUWKHÁRRGEXWQRWDVVHYHUHDVWKHLUKRVWV Earlier species-focused studies indicate water-resistant QHVW OLQLQJV FDQ SURWHFW ODUYDH IURP ÁRRGLQJ )HPDOHV RI some species secrete a water-resistant lining from their Du- four’s glands that partitions their larva and its pollen provi- sions in a kind of mini-sauna to prevent the food reserves from drying out. A 1994 University of California study showed that one species of mining bee (Calliopsis pugio-

© Andy Carstens nis) produced a lining that was so water-resistant, new adults emerged from ground nests in areas that had been complete- Virginia Scott surveying for bees during the pandemic ly inundated for three months. Some of Scott’s and Mullin’s data suggest the lack of lin- “When people ask, ‘how do bees respond to something?’” ings might factor into population reductions. The small car- 6FRWWVDLGPHDQLQJÁRRGVRUDQ\VWLPXOXV´LWPDNHVPHFUD- penter bee, which does not line its nest, plummeted to less zy because it’s like, which bee are you talking about?” 20,000 WKDQRI LWVSUHÁRRGDEXQGDQFH+RZHYHUWKHVSHFLHV species of bees exist throughout the world. Their variety in that do construct linings use different chemicals and sub- EHKDYLRUPDNHVFODVVLI\LQJUHVSRQVHVWRÁRRGVFRPSOH[ stances; some may resist water better than others. The St. Most solitary bees only produce one generation of off- Vrain data show that mining bee abundance dropped by al- spring per year, whereas many social bees produce multiple PRVWDIWHUWKHÁRRG³GHVSLWHOLQLQJWKHLUQHVWV generations throughout the spring and summer. Some species are brood parasites that lay their eggs in host species’ QHVWV RIÁRDGLQJ QHVWEXLOGLQJ DQG RWKHU SDUHQWDO GXWLHV 6RPHEHHVVSHFLDOL]HLQVSHFLÀFSODQWVZKLOHRWKHUVDUHSROOHQ generalists. Just like humans choose different living accom- modations—condos, apartments, or single-family homes— bees select different nest sites: in the ground, in cavities, or free-standing. “There’s still so much basic information that’s not known,” Scott said, adding that scientists sometimes assume nesting behaviors are the same between species of the same genus. For all they know, bees thought to rear young in pithy stems might also nest in log boreholes. The St. Vrain survey data suggest that some of the many nesting behaviors that scientists have unraveled—like spin- ning water-resistant cocoons—may protect certain bees DJDLQVWÁRRGLQJ%XW0XOOLQVDQG6FRWWSRLQWRXWWKDWFRU- UHODWLRQGRHVQ·WSURYHFDXVDWLRQVRLW·VGLIÀFXOWWRXQWDQJOH whether those strategies directly cause success in a particular group, or if other factors are at play. A few types of sweat bees that are social and pollen gen- An Andrena sp. mining bee with a full load of pollen on a Calendula arvensis ﬂower. 41 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS

ÁRRGLQJJLYLQJEHHVSODQWVIRUIRRGDQGKDELWDWIRUQHVWLQJ Scott does wish the city could have left more debris after WKHÁRRGEXWVKHXQGHUVWDQGVWKDWSXEOLFVDIHW\ZDVDSULRU- ity. “Logjams and piles of sticks are great places for bees to live,” she said. In 2014, Scott captured nine species known to exist at higher elevations that hadn’t been documented in the JUHHQZD\EHIRUHWKHÁRRG´7KH\·UHZRRGQHVWLQJVSHFLHV and I think they washed down in debris,” Scott said. Leaving debris also makes sense because about one-third of Colora-

© Victoria Scott do’s bees are cavity nesters, laying eggs in tunnels of twigs and wood. The St. Vrain Greenway bridge in 2012 before the ﬂooding Despite debris removal, the current data indicate bee communities are relatively healthy. Although species diversity “Is it that their plants were gone? Is it that their nests data won’t be available until the end of the year, bee abun- washed away?” Scott asked. Or is it that other factors such as GDQFHZDVDERYHSRVWÁRRGOHYHOVZLWKPRUHLQGLYLGX- QHVWEXLOGLQJDQGIHHGLQJEHKDYLRUVSURWHFWEHHVIURPÁRRG- als netted this year than in 2014. Scott and Mullins caution ing? Or is it a combination? These are the questions the two WKHXSWLFNFRXOGUHÁHFWQRUPDODQQXDOYDULDWLRQEXWGHVSLWH entomologists are still exploring. numbers below those measured in 2012, they believe communities are thriving in most locations around the greenway. To investigate bee community recovery, Mullins has re- peated the survey this year with help from Scott. From late “We should be able to see the Front Range,” Scott said April to early October, the two scientists have taken nine near the end of the afternoon’s survey. Smoke from the rounds of data, spending about four days in each round net- &DPHURQ 3HDNDQG3LQH*XOFKZLOGÀUHV³QRZ&RORUDGR·V ting bees from eleven sites along the greenway. ODUJHVWDQGVHFRQGODUJHVWÀUHVHYHU³KDYHHUDVHGWKHPRXQ- 'HVSLWHSUHYLRXVÁRRGLQJRQWKDWDXWXPQGD\WKH:HOG WDLQVFRPSOHWHO\IURPWKHKRUL]RQ:LWKIUHTXHQWZLOGÀUHV &RXQW\VLWHZDVGHVLFFDWHG7KHODVWRI WKHVXQÁRZHUVZLWK- DQGSHUVLVWHQWGURXJKWFRQGLWLRQVLQ&RORUDGRLW·VGLIÀFXOWWR HUHG RQ FUDFNO\ VWHPV WXIWV RI FRWWRQ\ ÀEHUV SHUFKHG RQ XQGHUVWDQGKRZFOLPDWHFKDQJHZLOOLQFUHDVHÁRRGLQJKHUH long-gone milkweed blooms, and grasses crunched under It begins to make sense when you understand that Colo- their feet as the two scientists hunted the remaining blos- rado’s precipitation is more uneven than most areas. Accord- soms. Both Scott and Mullins seemed to have maps of ing to Dr. Angeline Prendergrass, at the National Center for blooming plants etched on their brains, making beelines to Atmospheric Research in Boulder, one of Colorado’s weath- ÁRZHUVKLGGHQLQDVHDRI EURZQ³DOIDOIDVQDNHZHHGDQG er stations records half of its annual rainfall in just 10 days. white aster to name a few. When they captured bees, they She said that, even though droughts are expected to increase snapped twigs off and placed them inside the vials to track with warmer temperatures, climate change will squeeze pre- plant preferences. cipitation into fewer days. Depending on how much global “Looking at and knowing what those bees are selecting temperatures rise, already heavy rain days will become heavi- to be on, is certainly important,” Dan Wolford said over the HU$VDUHVXOWÁRRGLQJZLOOEHFRPHPRUHIUHTXHQWDQGPRUH phone days later. Wolford is the city of Longmont’s land program manager, and he said that Scott’s and Mullins’s data KHOSHGVHOHFWSODQWVWKDWZRXOGEHQHÀWSROOLQDWRUVDVSDUWRI WKHODUJHUÁRRGUHVWRUDWLRQSURMHFW In turn, both Scott and Mullins praise the city of Long- mont’s support of pollinator health. In 2017, the city adopt- HGDUHVROXWLRQWKDWRIÀFLDOO\GHFODUHGWKHLPSRUWDQFHRI SUR- tecting pollinators and committed, among other things, to minimize pesticide use. The city’s 2019 wildlife management plan outlines myriad strategies to preserve and manage pollinator habitat, including using native plants in medians and planters, installing bee boxes, and adapting mowing sched- XOHVWRDOORZSODQWVWRÁRZHU All of these actions promote what Scott says are most im- © Bill Johnson portant to help bee communities in the aftermath of severe Nomada ruﬁcornis, a cuckoo bee, on Virginia Waterleaf 42 GOING NATIVE © Jessica Mullins © Andy Carstens

A leafcutter bee ﬂying at Sandstone Ranch Jessica Mullins looking for bees this past autumn severe, causing more “disturbance”—a word both Mullins too close together,” Scott said. The concern is that popula- and Scott use to describe ecological change. tions won’t have enough time to recover between more fre- “A little disturbance is not necessarily a bad thing,” Scott TXHQWDQGVHYHUHÁRRGLQJHYHQWV said. ´$\HDUÁRRGHYHU\WZHQW\\HDUVPLJKWQRWEHDEDG “It increases biodiversity,” Mullins added. thing,” she said. But if it’s every year? “You haven’t had time ´7KH\ÀJXUHGWKDWRXWZLWKÀUHVDORQJWLPHDJRµ6FRWW to diversify.” VDLG´

CROWN BEES A Solitary Solution

43 CARNIVOROUS MAMMALS Atypical Pollinators in South Africa

by Sheryl Normandeau

KHVWURQJO\VFHQWHGÁRZHUVRI VXJDUEXVK Protea spp.) found in the Western Cape of South Africa attract many different types of pollinators, from birds to elephant shrews (Rhynchocyon cirnei), butT researchers with the University of Cape Town, the Uni- versity of KwaZulu-Natal, and the University of Zurich were surprised in 2015 when they discovered that meat-eating visitors were participating in the pollination of these plants. Large-spotted genets (Genetta tigrina) and Cape grey mongooses (Herpestes pulverulentus, formerly Galerella pulver- ulenta) also enjoy the taste of the extremely sweet nectar, and inadvertently spread pollen around while dining. Video foot- age obtained during the study shows pollen grains clinging to their muzzles. These mammals distribute the grains to other plants as they continue to browse and feed.1

Elephant shrews are named for their very long snouts A large-spotted genet in its natural habitat in South Africa 90 OTHER POLLINATORS

Large-spotted genets are a small, cat- like mammal native to southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mo- zambique, Swaziland, and South Afri- ca). Unlike other genets, they are found in less arid parts of the continent, pre- ferring habitat that features brushland and consistently wetter conditions. Pri- marily carnivores, these leopard-spotted DQLPDOVZLWKDJLJDQWLFÁXII\ULQJHGWDLO rely heavily on rodents as a food source, and to a lesser extent, reptiles and birds. :KHQIRRGUHVRXUFHVHEEDQGÁRZZLWK WKHVHDVRQVWKH\DFWDVRPQLYRUHVÀOO- ing up on insects, fruit, and seeds.2 Cape grey mongooses, also indige- nous to southern Africa, are more tol- erant of dry, sparsely-vegetated areas than large-spotted genets. They are commonly found in the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Lesotho, A Cape grey mongoose and Namibia. These small, earth-toned mammals are also primarily carnivores, and like large-spotted genets, have a diet consisting mainly of cies of ProteaLQSHDNÁRZHUP. canaliculata, P. pendula, P. rodents, reptiles, and birds. Opportunistic feeders, they will scabra, and P. recondita were targeted for the tests. These chow down on almost anything edible, consuming insects, plants are notable for an exceptionally high production of fruit, and carrion.3 Given the lack of selectivity in their diets, VXJDU\QHFWDUXSWRP/SHUÁRZHU,WLVEHOLHYHGWKDWWKH it’s not surprising that both of these mammal species would KHDY\\HDVWOLNHRGRURI WKHÁRZHUVLVWKHPDLQDWWUDFWDQW occasionally choose Protea plants to feed upon. IRUWKHPDPPDOVDVWKHLQÁRUHVFHQFHVWKHPVHOYHVDUHQRW Over a course of 300 days and nights, scientists set up brightly colored. The nectar is the sweet payoff for foraging motion and infrared cameras at sites containing several spe- in the right place at the right time.

Sugarbird sitting on the endemic fynbos pincushion Protea ﬂower in the western cape of Cape Town, South Africa 91 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS © Tony Rebelo, Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Rebelo, © Tony

Botanical illustration of Protea canaliculata Flower of Protea pendula

According to researchers, of the total number of record- which ultimately increases genetic diversity. When it comes ed visits to ProteaÁRZHUVLQWKHWHVWHGDUHDVVHYHQSHUFHQW to the pollination of somee plaplant species, it’s not merely the were from genets and four percent from mongooses. With- usual suspects helping out! out exception, mongooses fed during the day and the noctur- nal genets at night. Given their limited role in visiting these References plants, it is clear that mongooses and genets are not primary 1. Steenhuisen, Sandy-Lynn et al., “Carnivorous mammals feed on nectar pollinators. Their role as pollinators is likely incidental, with of Protea species (Proteaceae) in South Africa and likely contribute to their pollination,” African Journal of Ecology. grains sticking to their snouts. And yet, they may actually have an important role in dis- 2. Mackenbach, Sarah, “Genetta tigrina,” Animal Diversity Web. persal of pollen. Elephant shrews and other rodents that 3. Labuscagne, Lize, “Cape Grey Mongoose,” South African National Bio- typically feed on nectar from Protea plants do not tend to diversity Institute. travel long distances. Researchers estimate that their range is 4. Steenhuisen, Sandy-Lynn et al., “Carnivorous mammals feed on nectar 2 a piddly 0.0035 to 0.0054 km , whereas mongooses and ge- of Protea species (Proteaceae) in South Africa and likely contribute to nets have a much wider range of distribution.4 Large-spotted their pollination,” African Journal of Ecology. genets, for example, have a home range of approximately 0.11 km2 (1.1 hectare).2 These larger mammals canthusmovepollen PXFK IDUWKHU DÀHOG

Protea ﬂowers have been Sheryl Normandeau is a around for 300 million Calgary-based writer and years. The King Protea is regular contributor to sever- the national ﬂower of South al international publications. Africa. They are named after She is the co-author of a new the shape-shifting Proteus, series of books about Prairie the son of Poseidon, as they gardening from TouchWood include over 1,500 species. Editions. 92 2 MILLION BLOSSOMS Happy New Year

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