THE TROUBLE WITH POLLINATORS and THE POLLINATOR GARDEN
(presentation leaders: Dr. Becky Nichols - insects, and DLIA Executive Director Todd Witcher - on plants)
Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than twothirds of the world’s crop species. The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the U.S. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems.
Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25% of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to black bears. In many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss, pesticide use, and introduced diseases.

Join us to learn more about what’s happening to pollinators in and out of the park. You will also learn about the new “Pollinator Garden” being installed at Sugarlands Visitor Center.