Learn More About the Vital Role Bees, Butterflies, Bats and Other Small Creatures Play During National Pollinator Week 2021
On June 8th, Mayor Jeff Williams and the Arlington City Council issued a proclamation to observe June 21-27, 2021, as National Pollinator Week.
Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, birds, and bats play an essential role in our environment. They help create and maintain diverse ecosystems and are vital to our food supply. Approximately 80% of the global food crops require pollination. In the United States, 150 food crops rely on pollinators with an estimated worth of $10 billion dollars per year.
Pollination occurs when pollen is moved in and between flowers of the same species leading to fertilization, which produces seeds. Pollen can be transferred by animals or by the wind. Animals that facilitate pollination are called pollinators. Pollinators provide ecosystem services that support wildlife and native plant communities in the following ways:
• Native plant diversity provides food and shelter for birds and other wildlife
• Pollinator habitat helps remove pollutants from stormwater runoff improving local water quality
• Diverse plant communities prevent erosion and maintain healthy watersheds
• Flowering plants help return moisture to the atmosphere which is integral to the water cycle
• Flowering plants utilize carbon dioxide to produce oxygen.
The City of Arlington encourages residents to learn about the importance of pollinators in our community and promotes the creation of pollinator habitat on public and private property. Residents and businesses can help by using native and adapted plants in landscapes and gardens. This attracts pollinators, reduces pesticide and fertilizer use, and conserves water resources.
Visit Arlington Bee City USA webpage to learn about our local pollinators. www.arlingtontx.gov/beecityusa.
Residents should also contact the Tarrant County Master Gardener Association at www.tarrantmg.org or the North Central Texas Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas at www.txnativeplants.org/about/ to find out which native plants grow well in our region.
Certain plants that thrive in the western or southern regions may not survive in the north central part of the state of Texas.
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