Beaver Ponds Make Pollinator Parties
“That which is not good for the hive cannot be good for the bee”
Marcus Aurelius
Sometimes decisions get made that are good for a single purpose while ignoring the health of the larger community or ecosystem on which it depends. America once used DDT to control pests without understanding its carcinogenic properties or the way it affected wildlife. An example today might be the farmer who traps beavers on his land because the pond threatens his crops. Important new research from the UK documented the way that these beaver ponds actually increase the pollinators that fertilize the very crops he is seeking to protect . Some of these pollinators, like the hoverfly, not only fertilize while seeking nectar, but also consume harmful insects. Pollinators in turn become food for birds, mammals and even bats . In their important paper “Beaver wetlands create a buzz and a flutter for pollinators ” the authors document how beaver ponds increase the abundance and diversity of both hoverflies and butterflies at beaver ponds when compared to manmade ponds. Since beaver ponds were so beneficial to pollinators they concluded that beavers should be incorporated into farming landscapes.
It is estimated that around 80% of our current foods and flowers depend on pollination for their reproduction, and biotic reproduction (performed by insects or mammals) is far more effective than wind or water. Children are generally aware of the role of bees in the pollination story, but they are less aware of the role that butterflies, hoverflies, bats and even diurnal moths play in the story. This activity was designed to educate them about pollinators generally and highlight the role that beavers play in boosting their population, making them important to plant and animal diversity on a broad scale.
This activity will introduce children to 6 important pollinators that benefit from beaver ponds. Participants will be attendees of the 2027 beaver festival. In order to broaden our educational outreach, for the first time the activity will also be available to school teachers on a limited basis. (The thinking behind this is that educating teachers on how to approach this topic will have a trickle down effect for more children). The activity will illustrate the way in which beaver ponds create “pollinator parties” that benefit a host of plants and insect eaters. Children will be invited to learn how beavers create changes to the habitat that benefits nectar eaters and given 3 tools to begin their quest: A sticker sheet with various pollinators, a card featuring 6 flowers they often visit, and a map indicating participating exhibits. These exhibits will be chosen for their relevance to the subject matter and willingness to participate. (For example, Audubon might be selected to represent the hummingbird.) Their booth will feature a pollinator sign showing the pollinator and something about their plant preferences – such as “Humming birds have no sense of smell and can only see red flowers”. When the child has collected all 6 clues, they can use those hints to match the pollinator stickers to the 6 plants on their flower card and return to the beginning to collect their prize.
