Pollinator Awareness Week

Submitted by The Ouachita Beekeepers Association

National Pollinator Week is June 19 – 25. It coincides with June being national fresh fruits and vegetables month, so it’s important to realize that about one-third of our human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants.

Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators like bees, bats, and other animal pollinators to reproduce. When pollinators visit flowers in their search for food (nectar and pollen), they brush against a flower’s reproductive parts while depositing pollen from other plants. The plant then uses the pollen to produce a fruit or seed. Many plants cannot reproduce without pollen being carried to them by foraging pollinators like honeybees — who are the real work horses of pollination being responsible for 80% of this type of pollination.

National pollinator weeks helps bring awareness to the plight of pollinators as they face challenges in the world from habitat loss, disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants. If we don’t support pollinators, we could lose foods like apples, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate, almonds, melons, peaches, or pumpkins. Here are some easy ways you can help pollinators:

• Use “native” pollinator-friendly plants in your yard and garden and think beyond flowers as shrubs and trees like dogwood, blueberry, cherry, plum, willow, and poplar provide pollen or nectar.

• Reduce or eliminate pesticides in your landscape and use plants that attract beneficial insects for pest control.

• Be willing to accept some damage on plants meant to provide habitat for butterflies and moths.

• Provide clean water for pollinators with a birdbath with half-submerged stones for perches.

• Buy local honey and support beekeepers who help manage and care for honeybees.

• Enroll in the July 20 “Cooking with Pollinators” class sponsored by the Polk County Extension Homemakers Council where you will make recipes from pollination-required foods. Call 479-394-6018.

CAPES in Mena for LEARNS petition and training

Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) will be in Mena at The Ouachitas Coffee and Taproom on Wednesday, June 21 at 1 p.m. Tyler Draper, CAPES Cluster 9 organizer, will be on hand with other CAPES volunteers to train locals interested in volunteering to collect petition signatures. The public is also invited to come out and sign the petition to put LEARNS on the ballot.

“Public education has no political party. Don’t let politicians steal from your public school,” Draper said. “If you believe in public schools then join us.” vices that makes public schools a bedrock of support for hardworking Arkansas families; and no accountability during the first four years of their existence while under initial accreditation.

The funding for the LEARNS Act comes directly from the budgets of public school districts into the pockets of private educational companies through the school voucher program.

President of the Ouachita Beekeepers Assn. Tommy Payne presents a check to Kathy Hagler, president-elect of the Polk County Extension Homemakers Council in support of their education and awareness efforts for pollinators. June 19-23 is National Pollinators Week.

The LEARNS Act would prioritize spending at least $350 million per year over the first three years and billions of dollars over decades to startup education businesses in the form of charter and private schools that have: a higher failure rate, greater turnover, and fewer requirements than public school districts; lower bars for teacher qualification; less spending per child on nutrition, transportation, extracurriculars or advanced placement, special needs, and a litany of other ser-

The Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) is a nonpartisan movement of teachers, parents, students, former students, and concerned citizens interested in preserving public education in Arkansas. CAPES is committed to building a statewide volunteer base to educate and engage everyday Arkansans about the damages that the LEARNS Act will do to rural economies, public school districts, and state budgets. Our goal is to mobilize citizen volunteers to overturn or veto the LEARNS Act before public school closures and consolidations become the norm. Visit SayNoToLEARNS. org for more information.