From Plant Press, Vol. 25, No. 3, July 2022.
The week of 20-26 June 2022 was designated as Pollinator Week to mark a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator and plant populations. Pollinator Week events included plantings, seminars, and celebrations aimed at lifting up pollinators and the important conservation work being done on their behalf across the world. As a member of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) hosted a series of events to mark Pollinator Week.
On June 21, NMNH hosted a virtual discussion, “Reimagining Greenspace for Pollinators,” featuring NMNH conservation biologist Gary Krupnick, Thorne Rankin and Sally Shea (DC Natives), and Sara Via (University of Maryland Extension). During the program, participants learned how to reimagine backyards and urban spaces as working pollinator gardens that support biodiversity. The webinar has been archived and is available for viewing at https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/after-hours/webinar-reimagining-greenspace-pollinators.
On June 23, NMNH partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to host a Pollinator Celebration. During the morning event, museum visitors celebrated pollinators and learned about how we are all connected to pollinators and plants. The celebration included interactive activities and a concert with Latin Grammy Award-winning musician MISTER G. Several learning stations at the event, including one hosted by Gary Krupnick, had giveaways for the visitors, such as flyers, booklets, bookmarks, and posters. The event was held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center of NMNH.
As in year’s past, an educational pollinator poster was designed and distributed by the Pollinator Partnership and their partners (including federal agencies, non-profits, and for-profits), to promote Pollinator Week. The 2022 poster, “Wings of Life: Pollinating Butterflies and Moths,” is a celebration of fanciful, jewel-winged pollinators and the essential role they play in pollination, culture, and ecosystem services throughout North America. Butterflies and moths are found in almost every terrestrial ecosystem from deserts to tropical rainforests, and thousands of flowering plants have evolved to rely specifically on their pollination services. The beautiful artwork was drawn by Natalya Zahn, a Vermont-based illustrator and designer deeply inspired by science and nature. Krupnick served as a scientific advisor in the development of the poster.
Posters are available to order on the Pollinator Partnership website, http://pollinator.org/posters.htm. The website also has a downloadable PDF of the poster. Posters are for educational purposes only and are not intended for resale.
The Pollinator Partnership is the largest non-profit organization in the world dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems. It manages NAPPC, a growing, collaborative body of more than 170 diverse partners, working to implement, promote, and support a clear, continent-wide coordinated action plan in the areas of pollinator research, education, awareness, conservation, and restoration. NMNH has been a partner of NAPPC since its inception in 1999, and Krupnick serves on the NAPPC Steering Committee as U.S. Vice Chair.
Watch the webinar: Reimagining Greenspace for Pollinators:
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