Pollinator Resources

Pollinators Need You! You Need pollinators!

Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce.

Pollinators visit flowering plants and carry pollen on their bodies as they travel from plant to plant. They transfer pollen which contains the genetic material that is critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants.  Many of these plants bring us fruits, vegetables, and nuts; prevent soil erosion; increase carbon sequestration; and produce half of the world’s oils, fibers, and raw materials.

Why Are Pollinators Important?

Pollinators are nearly as important as sunlight, soil, and water to the reproductive success of over 75% of the world’s flowering plants. According to the University of Wisconsin- Madison Pollinator fact sheet, approximately three-quarters of the world’s major food crops require or benefit from animal pollination.

Being a pollinator in Wisconsin is not an easy job. Populations of pollinators are changing. Many pollinator populations are in decline due to a variety of reasons including loss of habitat. There are other contributing factors like pollution, misuse of chemicals, disease, and changes in climate patterns.

As part of a regional effort to reverse decades of declines in the eastern monarch butterfly population, organizations representing agriculture, transportation, utilities, protected lands, and urban and greenspace from across Wisconsin have created a voluntary blueprint to help monarchs.  Learn more at the Wisconsin Monarch Conservation Strategy.