The Colorado Native Pollinating Insects Health Study assesses the health of Colorado’s native pollinators, evaluates state policies for safeguarding pollinators, and makes recommendations on how to preserve and protect them.
According to this article from CSU about the study, “Pollinators play a crucial role in the reproduction of flowering plants by transferring pollen from the male parts (anthers) of a flower to the female parts (stigma) of the same or another flower. This process, known as pollination, is essential for the production of fruits, seeds, and the overall biodiversity of ecosystems.”
This is important for many reasons, including food production, ecosystem stability, biodiversity of plant species, and plant reproduction.
Our state’s pollinator population is hurting. Pollinators face numerous threats:
- habitat loss
- pesticide exposure
- climate change
- diseases
Colorado is home to over 1000 species of bees – nearly 30% of North America’s bee population and a whopping 5% of the world’s bee species.