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On The Landscape

Seed A Legacy: New Pollinator Habitat Program Launches in 2018

3/21/2018

3 Comments

 
Many pollinators are in peril and the time is now to replenish pollinator habitat on the landscape where it matters most. This is why The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund (BBHF) formed with leadership and support from Project Apis m., key stakeholders, and the beekeeping industry. The growing sense of urgency about honey bee health and monarch butterfly populations has created a unique ‘Moment in Time' when a broad collection of supporters have come together to support pollinator habitat efforts and make a difference.

Apply Now for 2018! 
This year, the BBHF expanded efforts with a new habitat program called Seed A Legacy. The program is providing free, or deeply discounted, pollinator seed mixes to projects in 11 key states of the Midwest and Great Plains. The program is currently open to private, public and corporate lands for projects that will be established this spring.

Applications received after March 31st using the online application at http://beeandbutterflyfund.org/habitat-programs/seed-a-legacy-program will be considered for projects in the fall of 2018.
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​Different by Design 
The Seed A Legacy program is unique in how it strategically designs and delivers pollinator habitat benefits. Seed mixtures provide four key objectives: 1) Increased pollinator benefits, 2) Cost-effective, 3) Establish quickly, and 4) Provide improved early weed competition values. These objectives are delivered in all BBHF projects and referred to as ‘NextGen Habitat Projects’.
 
In addition, each BBHF project is established with two different seed mixtures: a ‘Honey Bee’ seed mixture and a ‘Monarch Butterfly’ seed mixture. The Honey Bee seed mixture is comprised of a combination of legume species (like clover and alfalfa) that honey bees evolved and adapted to. Those legume species are preferred by honey bees and contribute greatly to their overall health and honey production. The Monarch Butterfly seed mixture is comprised of the many native wildflower species that are crucial for the life cycle and health of a broad range of native pollinator species. While most pollinator use and benefit from both of these seed mixtures, they establish very differently because of their design and components. 
 
The value of BBHF habitat projects and the seed mixtures used are currently being evaluated in three research projects that are documenting the ability to deliver on the four key objectives. Early research results are documenting that BBHF seed mixtures have significantly increased pollinator value over other pollinator conservation programs that BBHF projects were compared with. 
Just like our habitat solutions, our supporters are diverse! The BBHF delivers its habitat goals with a ‘Big Tent’ approach, bringing together a very broad range of interests and groups that are working to benefit pollinator species. That support includes diverse groups like commercial beekeepers, crop commodity organizations, agricultural industry, wildlife conservation groups, honey packers, conservationists, public entities, beekeeping supply companies and others. In many cases, the groups and interests working collectively through the BBHF might not collaborate or view themselves as partners in any other way. But, restoring pollinator habitat is something we can all agree to act upon.
 
Our Moment in Time
We are committed to inviting all stakeholders to the table to make a difference. The urgency to get high-quality pollinator habitat on the landscape has never been greater and we need everyone possible to support planting habitat back into the landscape. Join us!
 
For more information about the BBHF and its habitat programs, please contact the BBHF at info@beeandbutterflyfund.org or call 800-407-5337. Make this the ‘Moment in Time’ that you get involved!
3 Comments

Painted Ladies Abound

10/1/2017

3 Comments

 
This summer we have been watching our Bee & Butterfly Habitat plantings in their second year. For those of you preparing bees for winter we are pleased to report that BBHF plots look great! Even this late in the year, beekeepers know how much value late season forage adds for overwintering success!
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A feast for honey bees and other pollinators! Specially formulated seed mixes maximize nutrition, especially important in late season. Photo taken Sept 2, 2017 in Jamestown, ND. Forage photo courtesy of Dr. Clint Otto
When I walk a plot of flowers, it never fails to amaze me how many insects only become visible when I stand still and rest my eyes on a blooming plant. Hundreds of insects can appear in the moments I become still and the only motion is these small creatures! One species amongst the flowers that is not easily missed this year is the Painted Lady Butterfly. Often mistaken for a monarch butterfly, this species has booming populations this year. We don’t know why, and our friends at the Prairie Ecologist provide some good information here, but events like this will blow your mind if you let them! Perhaps you have considered how amazing it is that a honey bee can fly 5-10 miles if she has to, and still return to the right hole in the wall! But Monarch Butterflies cover 3,000 miles, and it takes them 4 generations to complete their migration process to the mountains in Mexico. Painted Ladies are also migratory. The ones we see are reliant on habitats in Central and South America. Amazingly, the ones in the UK make a journey over 9,000 miles!
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Painted lady butterflies and bumble bees create a beautiful scene as they forage on a BBHF Planting. Video by Pete Berthelsen, Patrnership Coordinator, The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund
It is with great pleasure that I marvel at these creatures, and with great enthusiasm that we work to replace their lost habitat. It’s not just for honey bees, but for the painted ladies, the monarchs, the bumble bees and myriad pollinators who need these blooming meadows! Feast your eyes on a few seconds of video of Painted Ladies and others on Anise Hyssop in a BBHF planting. It’s like a massage for your eyes. Now that’s good habitat!
​

Danielle Downey 
Executive Director, Project Apis m.
3 Comments

A Moment in Time

8/25/2017

3 Comments

 

Introducing Peter Berthelsen,
Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund Partnership Coordinator

The issue of “pollinators” represents what I believe is the single, greatest conservation movement of my lifetime.  That’s a strong statement, but one that is built and backed by my 35 years of experience working on a wide range of wildlife, agricultural and conservation issues.  I believe so strongly in this message and cause that after 26+ years with an organization that I was deeply connected and committed to, I made a change to bring more support and answers to the issue of pollinator health and habitat.  The last 3 years have convinced me that pollinator health and habitat is the issue that can galvanize the concern and support of the general public.  My career path led to my moment in time several years ago, with partners developing a shared vision of this innovative solution.
 
In June 2014, a group representing Project Apis m., Browning Honey Company and Pheasants Forever, Inc. met to discuss opportunities to impact pollinator health and habitat in a new and innovative way.  There was a growing sense of frustration over the type and quality of pollinator habitat that was being delivered on the landscape through existing conservation programs.  It seemed that too often, those ‘pollinator’ conservation programs were too expensive, didn’t compete well with weeds, they were complicated for landowners to participate in and produced low pollinator values. More of the same will not solve this problem, using innovative techniques we can, and we will, do better.
 
From that initial gathering, the development of a more effective way of delivering high quality pollinator habitat was born: The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund (BBHF).  The BBHF is a unique partnership that brings innovation and technology to pollinator habitat.  Some of the advancements in BBHF projects include:
  • Using high diversity seed mixtures that are cost-effective.
  • Establishing each project with 50% of the area planted to a honey bee mixture and 50% of area to a monarch butterfly mixture.
  • Designing seed mixtures to provide superior early weed competition outcomes.
  • Planting seed mixtures using techniques that encourage establishment and discourage weed competition.
  • Program participants receive both pollinator habitat seed mixtures free of charge.
  • Landowner may enroll projects for 3 to 6 years and receive annual rental payments and a planting incentive payment.
 
While that may sound like a simple, straight-forward approach to pollinator habitat, no other conservation program in the country brought those elements of cost-effectiveness, high pollinator value, weed competition strength, ease of enrollment and incentives.
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Coneflowers and a longhorn bee in a Bee and Butterfly Habitat Planting
The BBHF comes at a critical time.  This is a critical moment for the beekeeping industry and honey bee health, the population of monarch butterflies and other important pollinator species coupled with broad understanding and concern about these issues from the general public.  I believe that this is our  ‘moment in time’ to make a difference and offer the public a vehicle by which to improve pollinator health. ‘Moments in Time’ come to us with two important factors: 1) They don’t last very long and 2) You had better capture the momentum while you have it.  Those factors make the role of the BBHF a unique opportunity in the beekeeping world right now.  With three years of proven pollinator habitat success and research to prove the value of our projects, this partnership is uniquely positioned to make a difference.
 
With a strategic and clear message, pollinator health and habitat can touch the topic that motivates and moves to action a significant portion of the public.  We just need to provide that strategic and clear message to them. Pollinators and their habitat needs are a unique ‘glue’ that allows the habitat we want and need for them to provide an important connection and solution to issues related to water quality, soil health, food sustainability, grassland songbirds, precision agriculture, right-of-way habitat, solar energy fields and other wildlife habitat……. it’s the glue that brings these issues and the people that care about them together. 
 
Please consider how you can make a difference by financially supporting our efforts today.  Your contribution will establish high quality pollinator habitat that is bringing new technology and innovation to the cause.  For more detailed information about the BBHF, check out our
Facebook page or go to www.BeeAndButterflyFund.org
 
Each month, I’ll be bringing you updates on the success of the BBHF: new partners joining our effort, pollinator habitat results and how you can make a difference.  I look forward to sharing with the successes of how we are capturing this moment in time to benefit pollinator health and habitat.

Pete Berthelsen currently serves as the BBHF Partnership Coordinator and is a wildlife biologist with 35 year’s experience in building and administering partnerships, designing and managing high quality habitat, and working with a wide range of partners to deliver conservation benefits.
​

Pete Berthelsen, 
Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund Partnership Coordinator
3 Comments

    On the Landscape with
    ​Pete Berthelsen,
    Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund Partnership Coordinator

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Project Apis m. is a 501(c)5 nonprofit organization. Your donation is not deductible on your individual income tax form. There are other business, foundation, or trust tax benefits, please consult your tax advisor about the deductibility of your contributions.
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  • Home
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    • Best Management Practices For Beekeepers (Home) >
      • Honey Bee Nutrition
      • Varroa
      • Nosema
      • Honey Bee Equipment Management and Maintenance
      • Honey Bee Colony Management
    • Best Management Practices For Almond Growers
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