While the word, “A-choo!” and annoying allergies are what people think of when they hear the word pollen, it has its place in our ecosystem. A very big place, in fact. It acts as a fertilizer for flowering plants so they can produce some of the foods we need for a healthy – and delicious – diet. Pollinators spread pollen the way you spread orange fingerprints

any time you eat Cheetos. A creature lands on a plant, pollen sticks to it, and it spreads the pollen from plant to plant as it feeds and seeks shelter. Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes. Creatures without a backbone (invertebrates) are pollinators, as well as vertebrates. There are more than 100,000 invertebrate species – such as bees and butterflies -- and at least 1,035 species of vertebrates – such as birds -- that pollinate crops not only in America, but also worldwide.

Bees, butterflies, and birds are three of the three primary pollinators to which people refer. In fact, it’s often been said that bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat.

Some little-known pollinators are lizards, possums, and mice. The largest pollinator is the lemur. A creature few have heard of is the tiny midge fly. But every time you indulge with a little chocolate, thank the midges. They’re the only animals that can pollinate the cacao flower. Cacao becomes chocolate. If milk chocolate is your favorite, thank the leafcutter bees, too, because they pollinate alfalfa. Dairy cows consume alfalfa, producing the milk for the milk chocolate, among other products.

Yes, pollinators are little, but their contribution to our food supply is huge. They play a significant role in the production of more than 150 food crops in the United States alone. In fact, almost all fruit and grain crops require pollination. Globally, 87 of the leading 115 food crops are dependent on pollinators. Food is a commodity, bought and sought across the world, so pollinators also contribute more than $24 billion to the U.S. economy. Some sources even place the monetary value even higher.

As you can see, pollinators are essential to our economy and food supply, and, therefore, our survival. But pollinators themselves are struggling to survive right now. More than 50 pollinator species are listed as threatened or endangered. The number of monarch butterflies is at an all-time low and officials are now considering listing it as an endangered species. The number of managed honey bee colonies in the United States has declined steadily from 6 million beehives in 1947 to 2.5 million today.

Several factors negatively affect pollinators. We’re not listing them in order of importance because all the factors combine to create the problem.

• Factor No. 1 ~ Decline in native plants

• Pollinators need native plants for food and shelter. What are native plants? Native plants are those that grow naturally in a geographical area when there’s no interference by man. In Indiana, native plants includes coneflower, milkweed, and aster, just to name a few. Native plants also include trees, shrubs, grasses, and more.

• Factor No. 2 ~ Toxic chemicals

• Another factor is the use of chemicals meant to rid crops of pests so farmers can produce more food. Scientists are finding that they can be toxic to pollinators.

• Factor No. 3 ~ Development

• Destruction of wild lands purchased and cleared for business development is another factor contributing to pollinator decline. Development also includes manicured lawns for housing. We uproot and otherwise rid our yards of native plants. In addition, native plants are beneficial to your property and the environment.

So what can YOU do to help save pollinators and, therefore, our food supply? Well, that’s what KHCPL’s Grow the Solution is all about!

• Participate in KHCPL’s Grow the Solution Together from May 2015 to May 2016. Find updates regularly on Facebook, Pinterest, KHCPL.org, Grow.KHCPL.org, our quarterly newsletter, in local newspapers as we send out press releases, from our community partners, and our enewsletter, notiFYI.
• Pick up a free native plant and one of our giveaways, and then plant it and tend to it every year. Consider purchasing more native plants to have a greater impact.
  • Get YOUR free native plant and have a chance to buy more during one of our giveaway/sale dates:
    * 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, May 8, Community Garage Sale, at Kokomo Beach
    * 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 9, Farmers' Market, corner of Washington and Mulberry streets
    * 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 16, Farmers' Market, corner of Washington and Mulberry streets
    * 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 30, Farmers' Market, corner of Washington and Mulberry streets
    * 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, June 1, Summer Reading Club kickoff party, KHCPL South
    * 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, June 4, Summer Reading Club kickoff party, KHCPL Main
    * 5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, June 5, First Fridays/Strawberry Festival, KHCPL Main
    One FREE native plant per family. All other native plants $2 each or 3 for $5. We are working with a wholesale nursery. We hope to find a local nursery willing to stock native plants as demand grows.
• Educate yourself about the pollination process and the plight of the pollinators at KHCPL’s Information Hive full of books, magazines, brochures, website links, databases, and more.
• Attend KHCPL programs, where the library and its partners will show you how to identify, plant, and care for native plants, how to build pollinator shelters, and more.
• Share all that you learn and do with others in the community and friends around the globe to encourage the planting of native flowers.
• Reduce the level of pesticides used in and around your home.
• Encourage local clubs, schools, churches, and businesses to build artificial habitats such as butterfly gardens and bee boxes.
• Support those who have pollinator-friendly practices, such as food producers who avoid or minimize pesticide use.
• Write to and call your local, state, and national representatives. Encourage the government to take pollinators into account when formulating policies for agriculture and other land uses. Tell them you are concerned about pesticides that are toxic to pollinators. Stress the need for funding for projects to increase pollinators.
• Thank the Community Foundation of Howard County; its funding makes this yearlong project possible. http://www.cfhoward.org/