Propelling Pollinator Populations
Two CSU students prepare to test clover plots on campus; Native Bee Watch seeks citizen scientists for 2023 season
CSU Students Plot a Simple Way to Bring More Pollinators to Campus
A pair of CSU students are piloting an experimental initiative to transform empty lawn spaces across campus grounds into pollinator havens.
In mid-May, Kenneth Kinneer, a fourth-year political science major, and Dori Schimdt, a first-year biology major, will begin aerating and seeding a 3,000-square-foot lawn neighboring CSU’s Plant Growth Facility on W Pitkin St. Dividing the lawn into quadrants, the two will experiment with different varieties and concentrations of clover and buffalo grass, measuring growth, hardiness, water intake, maintenance, and, of course, pollinator abundance.
“We’re trying to learn about the care it takes to make campus more pollinator-friendly,” Schmidt said. “Which combination grows best, has the least water intake, requires the least maintenance, and will be best for campus?”
In April, Kinneer and Schmidt received a $5,400 award from the President’s Sustainability Fund to pilot the project, covering the cost of labor and seed. They’ll work with Facilities Management and the College of Agriculture to institute and prolong the project.
Schmidt, a Senator for the CSU College of Natural Science, said the idea to test sustainable grass alternatives came to mind after hearing student complaints about Kentucky bluegrass, the primary inhabitant of many lawns across the CSU campus and the U.S. This invasive species is known to negatively affect its surrounding environment, harming pollinator diversity, natural wildlife habitats, and altering nutrient and hydrologic cycles.
Greeley-based seed company Pawnee Buttes Seed is supplying seed varieties for the project, some that thrive in shady, dry climates, others that prefer poorly-drained soil. It typically takes 2-3 years for seeds to germinate in an area, according to University Landscape Architect David Hansen, so the cost and maintenance of the project, if successful, would likely fall into the oversight of Facilities Management, becoming a permanent fixture on campus.
By then, Schmidt hopes to have a number of these test lawns spanning campus grounds.
“There are so many ways that CSU could utilize clover or even clover grass mixes, Schmidt said. “I’m so excited that I’ll get to be here to see watch this grow. Because the Biology building is right here, I’ll walk past it every day. I’d love to see more all over campus.”
How Counting Bugs in Your Backyard can Improve Colorado Native Bee Populations
Bee monitoring, in the words of Grace Wright, is a “practice in paying attention.” Once a week for two hours at a time, Wright and her mother survey a plot of plants at the Gardens on Spring Creek, a location that’s been monitored by CSU Extension’s Native Bee Watch since its inception in 2016. Like bees themselves, the pair hop from plant to plant, observing how many and what types of pollinator species drop by in two-minute windows.
Thick, hairy body and dark wings? That’s a bumblebee. Pollen clinging to the underside? Hairy Belly Bee. Shiny emerald-like head? Green metallic bee. Short, fuzzy, yellow body and a long black tongue? That’s actually a Black-tailed Bee Fly, which, along with many other types of flies, wasps, moths, butterflies, beetles, birds, and bats, carry weight in pollinating the earth as well.
Wright, a CSU Master Gardener and Sustainability Initiatives Specialist, is one of hundreds of volunteers monitoring Colorado’s 946 native bee species through Native Bee Watch, a program that trains citizen scientists to identify and record native bees throughout the state.
“We know that pollinator populations and insect populations are in decline at an alarming rate,” she said. “However, we need more data on what species are doing well, what species are declining, as well as some indication of things that we can do to help support those populations.”
Capturing such a dataset, especially statewide, is a massive undertaking for a single group of researchers. So why not enlist the help of the community? Volunteers begin by attending a two-hour training session, where they learn to observe, identify, and accurately record pollinator behavior. Then, they pick a plot of land to observe (either at home or elsewhere) at the same time every week, submitting data twice a month (or more) from June through August.
This data is loaded into a GIS program, which logs thousands of data points: insect species, flowers and plants, weather conditions, temperatures, wind speed, locations, photos, and written accounts.
One of the largest contributors to pollinator decline is habitat loss, by way of construction, grass lawns, climate change, and agriculture. Recognizing patterns in this large, long-term dataset has already influenced strategies to mitigate loss and create new refuges, big and small, for the region’s pollinators.
“A big thing they’re trying to do with this dashboard is to identify which types of plants support different types of bees,” Wright said. “So if we really want to support bumblebees, we have the data that says ‘Okay, these are the plants that are most attractive to them.’”
As important as this project is to pollinator preservation, Wright said she’s found another benefit to partaking in a project that quite literally forces you to notice the little things.
“Yesterday I was outside my house and I decided to sit for a while and just watch the dandelions. I saw Bumblebees, little Hairy Leg Bees, and even Mason Bees mating. If I had just walked by them, I would never have noticed,” Wright said. “Bee monitoring has changed how I see the world. I’ve learned to pay attention. When you slow down, there’s a whole amazing world of worms and beetles and birds and bees all doing work that helps us survive. I love learning a little bit about the things that make our Earth beautiful. It makes things meaningful.”
Interested in volunteering as a Native Bee Monitor? Learn more here. Registration begins on May 5. Training dates will be held May 16 (2-4 p.m.) and May 22 (5:30-7:30 p.m.).
Calendar
May 3: El Mercado Feedback Session
The Poudre Food Partnership is inviting Northern Colorado farmers, ranchers, value-add producers, and Cottage Food producers to help us understand how we can best serve you at El Mercado, a proposed Latinx-forward market at the Powerhouse II site on the corner of Vine St. and North College Ave. Join us Wednesday, 4-6 p.m. at Stodgy Brewing Co. Beers on us. Producer-only event. Learn more about El Mercado here.
May 3: Community Night at Pour Brothers
Play Bingo at Pour Brothers from 5-7 p.m. for a chance to win a farm veggie pickup and merch courtesy of Sproutin’ Up.
May 5: Well Fed Farmstead Friday Market is back!
Fridays, 4-7 p.m., May-October
2229 W Vine Dr., Fort Collins.
May 7: Fort Collins Farmers Market is back!
Sundays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., May-November
1001 E. Harmony Rd., Fort Collins.
May 7: Handmade Market NOCO at Maxline Brewing
Grab a beer and shop from local makers and artisans at Maxline Brewing. 12-5 p.m.
May 20: Larimer County Farmers Market is back!
Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., May-October
200 W. Oak St., Fort Collins.
Stray Links
The Coloradoan: Your 2023 guide to Northern Colorado farmers markets
High Country News: In Colorado, a storied valley blooms again
Native Bee Watch Citizen Science Field Guide
Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growing Coalition is hiring Social Media Reporters