It’s no exaggeration to say that all life on Earth depends on pollinators. All around the world, from lush forests and sunny meadows to arid deserts and frigid tundras, pollinators are at the heart of the food web.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 12% of the world’s flowering plants are wind-pollinated. The overwhelming majority rely instead on animal pollinators: bees, butterflies, beetles, birds, and even bats! Not only that, but many insect pollinators are a key food source for birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.
Pollinators are among the first animals to feel the effects of a changing climate. They must adapt to a warming environment - and the plants they rely on for food must adapt, too. Things like changes in blooming times, extreme weather events and increased survival of pathogens and invasive species can ripple through the entire food web, from plants and pollinators to herbivores and predators.
Pollinators today are in crisis. Many populations are in steep decline, and scientists attribute this largely to the loss of critical feeding and nesting habitat. And today’s problem for pollinators is tomorrow’s problem for people.
Please donate to our Summer Match now, when you can make three times the impact in the fight against climate change.
And the next time you see a butterfly, bee or bird visiting a flower, you can take comfort in knowing you’ve given them a better shot at survival with your Summer Match contribution.
Thank you for all you do for pollinators,
Emily Stevenson
Manager, Online Membership
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