Tag Archives: pollinators

Art Classes for Everyone

Pollinators in Action – Butterflies. Free Live Zoom Art Workshop. Wednesday 4/10/2024 at 5:00 PM

POLLINATORS IN ACTION – Butterflies

Wednesday, April 10th at 5:00 PM. To sign up for this program send an email to office@sitenf.org with the note  WORKSHOP in the subject line. We will email you the ZOOM ID and password.

Art supplies:

  • Watercolor or water-based paint
  • Sturdy light plain paper
  • Brushes
  • Black thin marker
  • Container of water
  • Paper towel (few pieces)
  • Plate for color mixing
  • Newspaper or table covering (optional but recommended)

“People of all ages watch the brilliantly colored insects with awe and wonder at Butterflies in the Garden. What many don’t realize is that while we value butterflies for their beauty, they also play an important role in the ecosystem. Along with bees, birds and various other insects, they help flowering plants reproduce.

Birds and insects are critical pollinators; in fact, more than 80 percent of land plants are pollinated by animals such as butterflies. Pollen sticks to the bodies of pollinators when they feed on nectar, a sugary fluid produced by flowering plants to attract pollinators. Flowers benefit when they are visited by many pollinators, so they have evolved ways to attract birds and bees. The bright colors and showy petals of flowers serve as advertisements to pollinators promising rich nectar within.
Bees do most of the work of cross-pollination, but the contribution of birds and butterflies can’t be dismissed. In fact, scientists were recently surprised by how much butterflies contributed to the pollination of cotton fields in south Texas. In an article published in Science, researchers estimated butterflies contributed $120 million-worth of pollination to cotton farmers.

Butterfly populations are in decline across the world, primarily due to habitat loss, and not only cotton fields could suffer if species are lost. “Butterflies are important indicators of the health of the environment,” says O’Connell. “Healthy ecosystems with large native plant populations attract butterflies. You know something has gone very wrong in a location that butterflies avoid.” “Butterflies are also part of the food chain. Both caterpillars and butterflies are important food sources for many creatures, especially birds,” O’Connell continues. “And they have intrinsic value as part of the natural world.” —fwbg.org

Art Classes for Everyone

Pollinators in Action – Flowering Cherry Trees. Free Live Zoom Art Workshop. Wednesday 3/27/2024 at 5:00 PM

POLLINATORS IN ACTION – The Birds, the Bees, and the Flowering Cherry Trees

Wednesday, March 27th at 5:00 PM. To sign up for this program send an email to office@sitenf.org with the note  WORKSHOP in the subject line. We will email you the ZOOM ID and password.

Natural reproductive systems are often described using the birds and bees analogy. In the case of cherry trees, birds plant the seeds but bees are required to pollinate the flowers that make the fruit and seeds.   —https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/

Art supplies:

  • Watercolor or water-based paint
  • Sturdy light plain paper
  • Brushes
  • Container of water
  • Paper towel (few pieces)
  • Plate or small cups or plate for color mixing
  • Newspaper or table covering (optional but recommended)

“When you stroll through National Mall and Memorial Parks, you witness an intricately cultivated ecosystem. Almost all the plants are bred, selected, planted, pruned, and culled for visual effect. Yet untamed natural processes still occur and several species of animals live and flourish in this city “garden.”

Pollinators play a role in the life of this cultivated garden. Each year the color and scent of the cherry blossoms attract a variety of birds and insects. They play an accidental, though essential, role in pollination. Both plants and animals are dependent on pollinators. Pollination is the process by which the plant pollen grains are transferred from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma, which produces seeds for the next generation. Honey bees, wasps, beetles, and other insects fly or crawl to flowers seeking and eating the protein rich pollen. They sponge pollen onto their lower legs, abdomen, and mouth parts. As they fly from flower to flower, the pollen is then transferred to different flowers in different areas. In doing this, pollinators increase the diversity of the landscape’s species.

Birds like northern cardinals and blue jays are attracted to the blossoms in the spring. When the birds eat the blossoms, excess pollen gathers on their beaks thus spreading a wealth of cherry pollen in and around the park. Birds also may trim excess blossoms which helps aid the tree in preventing disease. Although the park plants most of the cherry trees, birds help to maintain that cycle of life. Birds also eat some insects found on the trees providing a supply of protein while also protecting the cherry tree from harmful insects.

So, if we want to continue to enjoy colorful displays and cheerful sounds of spring, we should appreciate the hidden powers of all that comes with that transient beauty. The birds that might leave droppings on you car; the pollen that makes you sneeze; the insects that might deliver a painful sting are all an important part of this delicately cultivated national garden.”  —https://www.nps.gov/articles/birds-and-cherry-blossom-trees.htm