Pheasants Forever expands habitat for beleaguered bees, monarch butterflies

[Omaha Steve]

David Hendee/The World-Herald
Honeybees buzz around Russ McMillan of Custer County near St. Paul, Nebraska.

http://www.omaha.com/news/pheasants-forever-expands-habitat-for-beleaguered-bees-monarch-butterflies/article_60b8467f-bd04-532f-8444-3a190f1201e9.html

POSTED: SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2015 12:30 AM
By David Hendee / World-Herald staff writer

ST. PAUL, Neb. — The facts of life for Nebraska’s state insect and a migrant cousin are as basic as the birds and the bees.

Honeybees and monarch butterflies are vital pollinators in gardens, orchards and pumpkin and watermelon patches in Nebraska and beyond. Insect pollinators are responsible for one of every three bites of food we take daily, yet they are at a critical point in their own survival, scientists say.

As populations of bees and butterflies decline, efforts are under way to hunt for habitat in every corner of rural or urban land to help preserve the vital bugs. The Obama administration recently launched a push to try to reverse dramatic losses.

One such effort to help honeybees — Nebraska’s state insect — and migrating monarchs is being undertaken by Pheasants Forever, a habitat conservation organization that believes what’s good for the birds is good for the bees.

FULL story at link.



David Hendee/The World-Herald

A honeybee emerges from a flowering foxglove beard tongue plant on Peter Berthelsen's farm near St. Paul, Nebraska. Berthelsen promotes pollinator habitat and healthy landscapes for Pheasants Forever.

[Scuba]

1. Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited and other such groups are doing great ...

... things on behalf of our environment.

[raouldukelives]

2. Kick!

[Damansarajaya]

3. Yup, hunters are environmentalists.

Some may disagree, but Outdoor Life wrote for years (at least 50 years) that when the environment can't support wildlife, it won't be able to support humankind either.