Background
Pollinators — bees, flies, butterflies, moths, beetles and hummingbirds — are a diverse group of animals that support our economy and our environment. These unsung heroes of the natural world are declining, both in numbers of species and in numbers of individual animals. Multiple threats appear to be causing these declines, including habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and disease. To reverse current trends, immediate changes to land use are necessary at a large scale. Transforming our approach to land management will make a big difference.
Canada’s network of rights-of-way — roadsides, power corridors, transmission lines and pipelines — are often mown and sprayed with pesticides throughout the growing season.
While our eyes have become accustomed to the uniformity of these lawn features, they displace habitat for pollinating insects and wildlife. Clipped non-native grasses do not provide the food and shelter that pollinators need.
There is opportunity here! Working landscapes in the U.S. and U.K. are being converted to wildflower meadows, helping pollinator populations recover. Canada can do the same. Lawns in our urban parklands and private backyards also offer an opportunity to give space back to the plant and animal populations that came before us.
As land stewards, we can choose to invite life back into our neighbourhoods and rights-of-way corridors.
