Planting a pollinator plot benefits all kinds of wildlife, from bees and butterflies to birds and bears. These plots provide pollen and nectar for pollinators, which leads to more hard- and soft-mast production in gardens, orchards, and farms.
Andy Rosenberger, a senior private lands biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), says planting for pollinators is crucial. “Because many species of native insects are experiencing population declines, it’s quite necessary to plant native wildflowers for food production,” he says. In many cases, current methods of land management have stopped these plants from coming up on their own.
“If we don’t help our pollinators,” he says, “we’re going to lose some of these species and have less production from our farms and gardens as well. And not helping our pollinators also results in non-native plants and animals getting the upper hand over our native flora and fauna that evolved here.”
