PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Ironwood, MI Permit No. 85 June 4, 2020 Serving communities surrounding Land O' Lakes • 715-547-3745 • www.borderbulletin.com FREE How Can You Save A Bee? By Rusty Burlew You’ve seen posters and read ing materials, housing choices, has 41 wildlife and fish crossings state decided to widen the local bumper stickers. You’ve watched and water, then and only then, and 39 jump-outs. A jump-out is two-lane road into a freeway, news videos and opened color- can we begin to save them. an earthen ramp on the freeway the alfalfa growers wanted ful solicitations for money. Cries Connectivity is key side of a wildlife fence that al- to know how to protect their of “Save the bees!” and “Protect Note that I said, “begin.” That’s lows an animal to walk to the top 120 acres of nesting bees. our pollinators!” are ubiquitous, because even a perfect environ- of the fence and jump down to In response, Washington having replaced pleas for pandas, ment containing all the desired safety. An even more unusual set State University ran a four- whales, and spotted owls. But components must be connected of structures, 31 underpasses and year study to learn how to help wait. How can you save a bee? to others like it. Small popula- one bridge, were built in Christ- the bees cross the road. In one The truth is, you can’t. Not tions must interact with other mas Island National Park in Aus- experiment, they erected tall mesh really. If you catch an endan- populations in order to share tralia to accommodate millions of fences along both sides of the road- gered rusty-patched bumble genes and maintain diversity. crabs on their annual migration. way hoping to force the bees to fly ridor plants because bee and put it on your sun porch Connecting the dots So if wildlife corridors are vi- up and over the freeway to get to they can thrive in with flowers and sugar syrup, The importance of connecting tal to bears and badgers, why not the fields on the other side. Instead, places limited by pave- you’ve gained nothing. If you divided populations has not been for insect pollinators? It’s easy to they discovered that alkali bees fly ment and concrete. snag a monarch butterfly and lost on conservation biologists. In think that since insects fly, they one-to-three feet off the ground. Aside from the fact that give it an entire greenhouse full fact, many impressive corridors don’t need help crossing the Period. So when the bees came to trees can yield all types of fruit of the finest milkweed, you’ll have been built to accommodate street. But that is not necessarily the mesh, they flew up and over and nuts, they have benefits we receive nothing for your efforts a wide variety of animals. For so. It turns out that insect pollina- and right back down, just like a sometimes forget. Trees filter the except a large invoice. example, the Trans-Canada High- tors need some legs up as well. pole vaulter. They crossed the road air, absorb pollutants, reduce We simply cannot save indi- way has six dedicated overpasses In contrast to monarchs and at the one- to three-foot level until run-off, provide windbreaks, vidual insects. We can’t even save and 38 underpasses that have not other migrating animals, most in- they came to the next mesh, and provide sound and visual screen- large aggregations. The one and only reconnected wildlife popula- sect pollinators don’t fly very far then repeated the maneuver. Need- ing, lower temperature in their only thing we can protect is a tions, but have prevented count- from their natal nest. Since travel less to say, the mesh was a total fail. immediate vicinity, and seques- pollinator’s habitat. If pollinators less wildlife collisions on the road. is limited, everything they need, Regardless of similar problems, ter carbon. Furthermore, decidu- have the space they need, and Similarly, 56 miles of U.S. including mates, must be within successful pollinator corridors ous trees have the dual benefit of that place is filled with Hwy 93 in northwest that short flight range. Instead have been built and more are on providing shade in the summer their natural Montana of acting like flyways, insect cor- the way. Brent Council in north and allowing sun exposure in foods, build- ridors simply allow connectivity London is in the process of build- the winter. It’s no wonder honey between populations, allowing ing a seven-mile pollinator corri- bees like to live in hollow trunks. them to interact with each other. dor that will connect 22 wildflow- We all can help Think of an insect corridor as a er meadows. The bustling City of While large-scale pollinator bucket brigade of sorts. Each of Seattle is home to the Columbia initiatives are important, they re- the individuals remain close to Street Pollinator Pathway, a sys- quire cooperation among public home, but buckets of genetic ma- tem of gardens that unites two entities, businesses, and private terial get passed along in both pollinator-friendly landscapes. landowners. These projects are vi- directions, providing a constant Nora’s Woods, a small park on tally important, but they can take flow of genetic material in and one end, is connected to the Seattle many years and much money to out of small populations. University campus on the other. implement. In the meantime, we Bees can be difficult The twenty gardens in between should not overlook the good we Every animal presents a follow strict guidelines for pollina- can do as individuals. unique set of problems and bees tor habitat, but each is maintained While a small garden or a balcony are no exception. For example, by the individual landowner. flower pot cannot feed many polli- the alfalfa fields of the Touchet Vertical forage nators, it can feed some, and that is Valley in eastern Washington are Planting trees, whether in ru- the point. Every time we fill a gap in home to the largest population of ral America or in so-called urban the landscape with a plant that pro- managed alkali bees anywhere on forests, is one of the best things vides a resting place or a minibar to earth. These native ground-dwell- we can do for the planet. Not a passing pollinator, or even a tryst- ing bees, wearing show-stopping only can trees produce a huge ing place for members of that bucket stripes of pearlescent green, or- number of flowers per square brigade, we are contributing to the ange, blue, and yellow, labor foot of planting space, but they connectivity that is so vital to their tirelessly to pollinate the provide habitat to countless spe- survival. No planting is too small to seeds that will be shipped cies beyond pollinators. Trees make a difference. For more info visit worldwide. So when the and shrubs make excellent cor- www.honeybeesuite.com. Photos by Border Bulletin Border Happenings–pg 3 • Natural Connections–pg 6 • Keeping You Posted–pg 7 Tipsy Housewife–pg 8 • Pastor's Window–pg 9 • Classifieds–pg 12 Page 2 June 4, 2020 Border Bulletin Make Music Day in Land O’ Lakes Summer On June 21st, Land O' Lakes Arts (LOLA) will host its 3rd Begins! annual Make Music Day celebra- tion in Land O' Lakes. Make Music Day is a free musical cele- bration open to the public, with performances outside local es- tablishments around town. Make Music Day was launched in 1982 in France, as the Fête de la Musique. It is now held on the same day in more than 1,000 cit- ies in 120 countries. As a mem- ber of the Make Music Alliance, Photo by Afterglow Resort LOLA is one of the thousands Memorial Day weekend marks the start to summer, and these girls enjoyed a swim of cities worldwide celebrating at Afterglow Resort in Phelps to celebrate! The perfect weather had the North- this day with musical activities. woods bustling with summer activities. This year's musical events will start at 11:00am with a mini music crawl. Musicians will be Birds & Wildlife Festival placed outside local establish- ments throughout town play- Join North Lakeland Discovery Center in celebrating International Mi- ing an array of music. Musi- gratory Bird Day and the amazing natural diversity of our Northwoods cians will include: Eclectic Duo region at our 16th annual Birds & Wildlife Festival on June 5th and June 6th. & Friends, Katlyn Koester, Beth Photo provided by LOLA Due to the public health and safety concerns, the Discovery Cen- Hassler, Jonathan Franke, and Cindy Pesek and John Oliver have performed on the LOLA porch in the past and ter has made a few changes to this fun and engaging event, but more. Spectators can drive, bike, plan to perform here again on Make Music Day in Land O' Lakes on June 21st. your participation is still very much necessary. The Birds & Wildlife or walk to each location to stop Festival offers over 10 hours of online programming by local natu- and listen, linger a little, but ral resource experts, including two keynote addresses! keep to social distancing practices. You may spot the traveling band, Decade XS, cruising up and down Presentations include John Bates: The Wild Side of Wildlife Ecology and Bill the streets. Car park performances at the Snowflake Ice Rink begin with the Electric String Band at Volkert: The Migration of Birds, as well as a virtual bird banding demonstra- 1:00pm.