Pollinators and Pollinator Gardens at UVM
Thanks to the work of the UVM Beekeeping club, as of 2017 UVM has earned Bee Campus status from Bee City USA®. This means that UVM students and staff have been working to increase/enhance pollinator habitat, expand education and outreach about pollinator conservation, and reduce the use of pesticides on campus. View the 2020 UVM Bee Campus report here. Recently, pollinator-friendly gardens and plants have been installed outside of Votey Hall, Jeffords Hall, and the Bittersweet building. Currently, new pollinator-friendly gardens are being installed with recent construction projects like the University Heights South re-roofing and additions to the Health Science Research Facility.
“Bee Campus Usa Commitments.” Bee City USA, 16 June 2021, beecityusa.org/bee-campus-usa-commitments/.
Why do we need pollinators?
- Pollinators are considered a keystone species group.The National Geographic Societydescribes a keystone species as “a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions. Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.”
- According to theEPA, insect and animal pollination accounts for ⅓ of our agricultural food supply.
- TheUSDAsays that “the added revenue to crop production from pollinators is valued at $18 billion.”
UVM Clubs and Organizations
A great way to get involved in pollinator conservation and environmental issues in general is to join one of UVM’s environmental clubs! Here are a few: