24 Nebraskaland • April 2021
IN THE FIELD
Pollinators, such as butterflies, moths and bumble bees,
are vital to the habitats and ecosystems that other animals
and people rely on for shelter and food. Pollinators are
responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat or
drink, and they provide services to medicine and textile
industries around the world. Unfortunately, pollinators are
in decline in our state and elsewhere. Nebraska is home to at
least 18 insect pollinators that are at-risk.
As a result, Nebraskans have been called to action to
prevent possible endangered- or threatened-status listing
of pollinators. Through donations, citizen-led butterfly
and milkweed surveys, habitat restorations and smaller
gardening projects, concerned Nebraskans have helped the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in its mission to
conserve all pollinator species. Alongside this public effort,
Nebraska State Parks staff also have taken action to help
the cause.
The Commission's pollinator initiative began in the
early 1990s, gaining momentum in 2015 when planning
and programming administrator Kirk Nelson and parks
horticulturist Mike Groenewold orchestrated a grant-funded
pollinator planting and seeding project. In partnership
with the Nebraska Environmental Trust, National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation and the Prairie Plains Resource
Institute, hundreds of acres of pollinator habitat were
installed on public lands across Nebraska. These plantings
not only increased the aesthetic value of parklands, they
also improved the functionality of each space, providing
habitat for wildlife and areas for parkgoers to recreate.
A few examples where pollinator habitat was restored
include areas along the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail,
Platte River State Park, the Schramm Education Center,
Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, Fort Hartsuff and Rock
Creek Station state historical parks.
In addition to planting native grasses and wildflowers,
horticulturist Steve Brey has raised tree species that provide
shelter and food for pollinators, such as native oak, plum,
cherry and maple varieties. Horticulturist Jon Morgenson
also continues to design and install pollinator-loving
landscapes in a number of parks each year.
By Richard Wehmeyer, Parks Horticulturist
POLLINATORS IN YOUR PARKS
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
