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The Point

Pollinators

By Mindy Todd
Published May 2, 2024 at 1:24 PM EDT
Solitary bees, clockwise, from top left: A blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria) pollinating an almond blossom, a leafcutter bee (Megachile sp.) pollinating a blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella), a long-horned bee (Melissodes sp.), and a pure gold-green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) on butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).
 Derek Artz / USDA-NRCS; Barbara Driscoll; David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org; Xerces Society / Sarah Foltz Jordan
Solitary bees, clockwise, from top left: A blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria) pollinating an almond blossom, a leafcutter bee (Megachile sp.) pollinating a blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella), a long-horned bee (Melissodes sp.), and a pure gold-green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) on butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). 

Pollinators are critical in the production of most fruits and vegetables. According to the USDA, three fourths of the world's flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators to reproduce. Kelly Gill and Julie Michaelson from the Xerces Society join us to discuss their efforts to conserve pollinators. And Drusy Henson joins us to discuss how Xerces worked with the Town of Orleans on the creation of a pollinator garden at Putnam Farm.
For help creating pollinator habitat in your yard visit this site

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Mindy Todd
Mindy Todd is the host and producer of <i>The Point</i> on WCAI which examines critical issues for Cape Cod and the Islands. She brings more than 40 years of experience in radio and television to WCAI.
See stories by Mindy Todd