Ways to help bees (and other pollinators)

Ways to help bees (and other pollinators)

Bees play a crucial role in the ecosystem and is responsible for pollinating 30% of the global food supply.

Unfortunately, they face many serious threats including: habitat loss, disease and pests (like Parasitic tracheal mites and the Varroa mites), climate change, pesticides and invasive plants.

There are many ways to help bees overcome these threats, regardless of where you live.

Plant pollinator friendly gardens

  • Plant native plants
  • Plant gardens that provide food at different times of the year
  • Make sure the plants and flowers you purchase are not treated with pesticides.
  • You don’t need a lot of space to plant nectar rich food (flowerpots are great too!)
  • Plant trees, they provide food and shelter to pollinators and wildlife

Less lawn!

  • Reduce the size of your lawn or replace it altogether with pollinator friendly plants, shrubs and flowers.

No Spray

Pesticides are bad for people, wildlife and pollinators. Eliminate pesticide use in your yard.

Organic farmers are great resources if you have questions about pesticide alternatives

Bee Habitats

  • Provide solitary bees with bee block condos or leave dead trees/branches in your yard for them to live in
  • Designate an area in your yard for ground nesting bees like bumblebees

Bee Baths

Provide your pollinators with a water source. There are many inexpensive ideas to make bee baths like using a shallow bird bath.

  • Place the bee bath in a shady area
  • Put something in the bee bath like rocks to prevent them from drowning
  • Make sure to change the water frequently

Buy local and support local beekeepers

Buy honey from local beekeepers to support pollinators in your area.

Bee Swarms

Call your local beekeepers if you see a swarm. They will be happy to give the swarm a place to stay!

Help bees, contact beekeepers to catch swarms

Become a Beekeeper

Beekeeping is a very rewarding experience and there are many classes you can take to learn the basics.

You can also learn about keeping mason bees or leafcutter bees!

Extra Resources

The National Wildlife Federation have great resources to find native plants for your area:
https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/About/Native-Plants

The Pollinator Partnership has an array of resources that focus on pollinators:
https://www.pollinator.org/

12 Things You You Might Not Have Known About Rhinos

12 Things You You Might Not Have Known About Rhinos

1.The meaning of rhinoceros

Rhinoceros is a combination of 2 Greek words; rhino meaning nose and ceros meaning horn.

2. There are 5 species of rhinoceros

Two species are native to Africa – white rhinos and black rhinos.

Three species are native to Asia – Greater one-horned rhinos, Javan rhinos and Sumatran rhinos.

3. Adult rhinos have no natural predators

Adult rhinos have almost no natural predators except humans. Poaching, hunting, habitat loss, & habitat fragmentation have taken its toll on all the rhino species.

4. About 500,000 rhinos roamed in the wild at the beginning of the 20th century

Today, there are only 30,000 rhinos left in the wild.

5. Rhino horns are made of a protein called keratin

A rhino’s horn is a compacted mass of hairs that continually grow throughout their lifetime. This protein is the same substance found in our hair and fingernails.

6. Ranked by size

White rhinos are the second largest land mammal after the elephant. They can weigh over 5000 pounds!

White rhinos are also the largest rhino species, followed by the greater one-horned rhino, the Javan rhino, the black rhino, and lastly the Sumatran rhino.

7. Rhino have three toes on each foot

Rhinos belong to a group called odd-toed angulates or perissodactyls. Their closest living relatives are horses, zebras and tapirs.

8. There is no color difference between black and white rhinos

Both rhino species are gray in color. White rhinos got their name from the Afrikaans word “wyd” which means wide and refers to their muzzle.

9. Browsers vs. grazers

Rhinos are broadly divided into browsers or grazers – depending on their style of feeding. Grazers, like white rhinos, feed low on the ground and prefer short grasses. Browsers, on the other hand, prefer leaves and twigs.

10. Follow or lead

White rhino calves will run in front of their mothers, while black rhino calves will run behind their mothers.

11. Rhino gestation period is 15-16 months

Once born, a newborn rhino will be walking within one hour after birth but will remain unsteady for a few days. The calf will remain with their mothers for 2 to 4 years.

12. Insect repellent and sunscreen

Rhinos will wallow in mud and take dust baths to protect themselves against biting insects, ticks, and from the sun.

To learn more about rhinos and their conservation, just go to:
https://www.truewildlife.org/resources/

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