Operation PollinationSmall Bites
Within the Rotary Club of Youngstown, we have had an on-going conversation about Operation Pollination since January 2021. By now everyone knows 1) what it is, 2) why we are talking about it, and 3) why it matters. Right? How very esoteric of me. At a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of North Canton, I had the opportunity to again talk about this project. My husband was “my driver” that day. He, who for nearly two years, had sat just outside of the phone conversations, monthly zoom meetings, activity on our property and in our community etc. had never heard the entire message from beginning to end. His take-aways: Operation Pollination is NOT a “butterfly project”. It addresses an environmental crisis that many people are not aware. It is a crisis because it threatens our food supply. The monarch butterfly although compelling for what it is, does, and represents (hundreds to thousands of other species), is a determinant that indicates whether we are saving ourselves or “defecating” in our own beds (the monarch having just been declared “Endangered” – not a good indication). And his light-bulb moment: A lawn contributes nothing to a healthy environment – especially if we pound it with chemicals that end in “cide” (think “sui - …”).
So, for newer members who missed the introduction or those who have been with us from the beginning and would welcome an elevator speech: 1) Operation Pollination is an environmental project aimed at creating a network of pollinator habitats on public and private lands. 2) Over 100 crops grown in the U.S. alone, are directly dependent on animal pollination to produce our fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, spices, oils, fibers, raw materials, and medicines. 3) Pollinator populations are all declining because we have reduced or removed where they live - their food sources – and with theirs goes ours. And to help answer the question, “What can we do?”: Whatever we can do it our own backyards is an important part of the solution: Replacing half the area that is now barren lawn with plants thar are best at supporting food webs would create over 20 million acres of connectivity and go a long way towards sustaining biodiversity in the future. More about that next week. |