WEBVTT 00:00:03.500 --> 00:00:05.417 - Ami Eckard-Lee: When we think of bees, 00:00:05.417 --> 00:00:08.875 we think of flowers, stingers, and... 00:00:08.875 --> 00:00:10.000 [ding] ...honey. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.333 But not all bees make honey. 00:00:12.333 --> 00:00:16.375 There are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide, 00:00:16.375 --> 00:00:19.750 but less than 15 of these produce the honey 00:00:19.750 --> 00:00:20.999 that we like to eat. 00:00:20.999 --> 00:00:23.083 Most of our honey comes from bees 00:00:23.083 --> 00:00:26.500 that are managed by human beekeepers 00:00:26.500 --> 00:00:28.792 for selling products like these: 00:00:28.792 --> 00:00:31.709 honey, pollen, honeycomb, or beeswax. 00:00:31.709 --> 00:00:35.250 Wild bees are species that survive on their own 00:00:35.250 --> 00:00:36.500 in the natural environment 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:38.500 and are typically native to the area. 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:43.250 And these little ladies are vital for a healthy ecosystem. 00:00:43.250 --> 00:00:43.999 But bummer news. 00:00:43.999 --> 00:00:46.458 Both domesticated and wild bee populations 00:00:46.458 --> 00:00:48.333 have been declining for decades, 00:00:48.333 --> 00:00:51.834 primarily due to climate change, habitat loss, 00:00:51.834 --> 00:00:54.083 and the widespread use of pesticides. 00:00:54.083 --> 00:00:59.583 So, what happens to the environment if we lose bees? 00:01:01.750 --> 00:01:04.041 [bright music] 00:01:05.917 --> 00:01:07.917 All bees are pollinators, 00:01:07.917 --> 00:01:09.875 but not all pollinators are bees. 00:01:09.875 --> 00:01:12.458 Pollinators are animals that help move pollen 00:01:12.458 --> 00:01:16.250 from one plant to another, allowing plants to reproduce. 00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:18.250 Many species are considered pollinators, 00:01:18.250 --> 00:01:20.041 like butterflies, regular flies, 00:01:20.041 --> 00:01:23.458 beetles, even some bat and bird species. 00:01:23.458 --> 00:01:26.583 But bees are the kings of pollination. 00:01:26.583 --> 00:01:28.542 Or maybe the queens. 00:01:28.542 --> 00:01:31.041 But why is it so important for the environment? 00:01:31.041 --> 00:01:33.999 I tried catching a bee to ask her, 00:01:33.999 --> 00:01:36.417 but she told me to buzz off. 00:01:36.417 --> 00:01:38.709 So, I met with these guys instead. 00:01:38.709 --> 00:01:42.250 And they seem to know a thing or two about bees. 00:01:42.250 --> 00:01:44.291 Why are pollinators so important 00:01:44.291 --> 00:01:45.041 for the environment? 00:01:45.041 --> 00:01:47.542 - James Crall: One is for biodiversity. 00:01:47.542 --> 00:01:48.999 The other one is more selfish. 00:01:48.999 --> 00:01:49.875 And that's for us, 00:01:49.875 --> 00:01:52.999 because a lot of the crops that we depend on as humans 00:01:52.999 --> 00:01:54.667 depend on that pollination. 00:01:54.667 --> 00:01:57.625 One in three bites, roughly, of food that we eat 00:01:57.625 --> 00:02:02.709 comes from a plant that depends to some extent on pollination. 00:02:02.709 --> 00:02:07.000 Basically, less pollinators means less food for us. 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:09.500 - What are the main threats to pollinators 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:10.792 in our communities right now? 00:02:10.792 --> 00:02:13.667 - Claudio Gratton: I think if we had to put 'em into categories, 00:02:13.667 --> 00:02:17.291 I would say that the biggest one is habitat loss. 00:02:17.291 --> 00:02:20.458 Imagine that every little habitat that they can get food 00:02:20.458 --> 00:02:23.542 is isolated from every other one. 00:02:23.542 --> 00:02:25.083 As habitats get smaller, 00:02:25.083 --> 00:02:28.417 they get further and further from other similar habitats. 00:02:28.417 --> 00:02:30.542 So, the likelihood that they can get to other food 00:02:30.542 --> 00:02:34.500 that is similar to what they're finding here is really low. 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:35.834 So, that's fragmentation. 00:02:35.834 --> 00:02:38.291 There's also diseases and pathogens 00:02:38.291 --> 00:02:41.667 that are influencing bee populations in particular. 00:02:41.667 --> 00:02:45.208 Related to that is also the use of pesticides. 00:02:45.208 --> 00:02:48.625 And then, there's this kind of other thing that's happening 00:02:48.625 --> 00:02:49.291 in the background 00:02:49.291 --> 00:02:50.458 that we're still trying to understand 00:02:50.458 --> 00:02:53.166 is the relationship and the role that climate 00:02:53.166 --> 00:02:53.999 is actually playing. 00:02:53.999 --> 00:02:55.625 - How does climate impact the pollinators? 00:02:55.625 --> 00:03:01.333 - So, we can think of climate as both directly impacting bees 00:03:01.333 --> 00:03:02.208 and other insects, right? 00:03:02.208 --> 00:03:04.999 So, out on a hot day, it might be more stressful 00:03:04.999 --> 00:03:06.917 in the middle of summer for bees. 00:03:06.917 --> 00:03:08.834 We would call those direct impacts. 00:03:08.834 --> 00:03:09.999 But the other thing that can happen 00:03:09.999 --> 00:03:12.667 are these indirect effects through plants, right? 00:03:12.667 --> 00:03:16.000 One is through sort of shifting timing, 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:17.500 something we call phenology. 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:20.417 Generally, phenology is that sort of timing 00:03:20.417 --> 00:03:21.999 of biological events. 00:03:21.999 --> 00:03:22.999 So, one of these might be, oh, 00:03:22.999 --> 00:03:26.792 when do flowers and bees both emerge in spring? 00:03:26.792 --> 00:03:28.750 And one thing that can happen with climate 00:03:28.750 --> 00:03:30.999 is you start scrambling those a little bit. 00:03:30.999 --> 00:03:34.250 And that can lead to timing mismatches, right? 00:03:34.250 --> 00:03:36.625 Maybe the timing of when bees emerge 00:03:36.625 --> 00:03:40.125 is different than the timing of when plants come out. 00:03:40.125 --> 00:03:41.709 - Ami: These changes in phenology 00:03:41.709 --> 00:03:45.999 are what makes biodiversity so important for pollinators. 00:03:45.999 --> 00:03:49.000 Biodiversity refers to the variety of species 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:50.250 in a given location. 00:03:50.250 --> 00:03:54.083 For example, a cornfield has very little biodiversity 00:03:54.083 --> 00:03:56.208 because there's only one species growing. 00:03:56.208 --> 00:03:59.125 Whereas a prairie might have dozens of plant species. 00:03:59.125 --> 00:04:02.000 All these species have different traits and blooming periods 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.333 that make them favorable to certain pollinators. 00:04:05.333 --> 00:04:07.000 And by supporting pollinators, 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:08.999 we're directly helping ourselves as well, 00:04:08.999 --> 00:04:11.792 because if they can't get the food they need, 00:04:11.792 --> 00:04:14.125 we might not get the food we need. 00:04:14.125 --> 00:04:16.875 I'm here at an apple orchard to talk with a farmer 00:04:16.875 --> 00:04:19.417 whose harvest relies on these pollinators, 00:04:19.417 --> 00:04:23.583 just like the pollinators rely on these flowers. 00:04:23.583 --> 00:04:24.917 Deirdre is an organic farmer 00:04:24.917 --> 00:04:27.999 who decided to designate 30 acres of her land 00:04:27.999 --> 00:04:29.125 to restore a native prairie 00:04:29.125 --> 00:04:31.208 that would help support the wild pollinators. 00:04:31.208 --> 00:04:32.834 And she has a pretty incredible story 00:04:32.834 --> 00:04:34.999 about how that decision paid off. 00:04:34.999 --> 00:04:38.000 - Deirdre Birmingham: In 2022, we were having 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:44.250 a very long, cool, kind of miserable, damp spring. 00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:46.166 I knew that it was delaying bloom, 00:04:46.166 --> 00:04:49.959 and then it surged into the 90s. - Oh, wow. 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:52.834 - Deirdre: And so, the blossoms were, like, exploding. 00:04:52.834 --> 00:04:54.999 They were just opening very quickly. 00:04:54.999 --> 00:04:57.667 And I had seen some wild pollinators. 00:04:57.667 --> 00:04:58.667 And so, I thought, "Good, 00:04:58.667 --> 00:05:00.834 "I know the wild pollinators are here, 00:05:00.834 --> 00:05:04.625 "but I haven't seen this neighbor's honey bees 00:05:04.625 --> 00:05:06.166 on the landscape yet." 00:05:06.166 --> 00:05:07.417 So, I hadn't seen them. 00:05:07.417 --> 00:05:08.208 I called him and said, 00:05:08.208 --> 00:05:10.083 "Hey, are your honey bees coming soon?" 00:05:10.083 --> 00:05:11.667 He said, "Oh, they're on a truck 00:05:11.667 --> 00:05:12.959 from Texas." - Oh, wow! 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:14.375 - 'Cause he would ship 'em to work, 00:05:14.375 --> 00:05:15.417 you know, work someplace else. - Wow! 00:05:15.417 --> 00:05:19.667 - And so, they won't be here in time for my early blossom. 00:05:19.667 --> 00:05:20.792 It was about a three, 00:05:20.792 --> 00:05:21.999 maybe three-and-a-half day window. 00:05:21.999 --> 00:05:24.999 And the wild bees did it, 'cause I got a crop 00:05:24.999 --> 00:05:28.542 on those early season varieties thanks to wild pollinators. 00:05:28.542 --> 00:05:31.999 - Having this diverse native prairie habitat available 00:05:31.999 --> 00:05:34.458 gave these wild pollinators a better chance 00:05:34.458 --> 00:05:36.792 at coping with additional stressors 00:05:36.792 --> 00:05:38.500 such as a delayed blooming period. 00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:41.667 So, what are some ways we can incorporate more diverse 00:05:41.667 --> 00:05:44.458 and connected habitats into our own communities? 00:05:44.458 --> 00:05:49.291 - Actually, urban and suburban areas can be even better habitat 00:05:49.291 --> 00:05:52.875 for wild bees because there's more diversity. 00:05:52.875 --> 00:05:55.667 People have different plants in their yard. 00:05:55.667 --> 00:05:57.999 They have flowers, they might have vegetables. 00:05:57.999 --> 00:06:01.417 So, all this diverse stuff that people have there 00:06:01.417 --> 00:06:03.667 can be great for pollinators. 00:06:03.667 --> 00:06:06.458 - Think about all the areas in your community 00:06:06.458 --> 00:06:10.291 that are currently covered in a simple bed of grass. 00:06:10.291 --> 00:06:11.583 This might be the grassy area 00:06:11.583 --> 00:06:13.291 between the sidewalk and the road, 00:06:13.291 --> 00:06:14.875 or the median in the street. 00:06:14.875 --> 00:06:18.625 These areas could become habitat for pollinators 00:06:18.625 --> 00:06:21.875 if the right species were growing there. 00:06:21.875 --> 00:06:22.458 Another great way 00:06:22.458 --> 00:06:24.000 to get involved in protecting pollinators 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.999 is by participating in a citizen science program. 00:06:27.999 --> 00:06:29.375 Citizen science programs are ways 00:06:29.375 --> 00:06:30.667 that members of the community 00:06:30.667 --> 00:06:33.375 can take action on environmental issues they care about 00:06:33.375 --> 00:06:38.375 by aiding real scientists in collecting local data. 00:06:38.917 --> 00:06:40.500 The Bumble Bee Brigade 00:06:40.500 --> 00:06:43.083 is an example of a citizen scientist program, 00:06:43.083 --> 00:06:46.583 coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 00:06:46.583 --> 00:06:51.291 to aid in the conservation of bumblebees in the state. 00:06:51.291 --> 00:06:53.041 When you're on a, what do you call them, 00:06:53.041 --> 00:06:54.709 bee expeditions, when you come down here 00:06:54.709 --> 00:06:55.999 to the park? - Aishika Samanta: Bee-search. 00:06:55.999 --> 00:06:57.999 - When you're doing some bee-search, I should call it, 00:06:57.999 --> 00:06:59.667 what do you-- What does it day look like? 00:06:59.667 --> 00:07:03.250 - Yeah, so we kind of walk along the same path each time 00:07:03.250 --> 00:07:04.291 for consistency 00:07:04.291 --> 00:07:06.542 and look at each individual flower 00:07:06.542 --> 00:07:08.583 and see what bees are on them. 00:07:08.583 --> 00:07:10.792 We keep track of what flower preferences, 00:07:10.792 --> 00:07:12.959 so what flower each bumblebee is on, 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:13.583 the bumblebee species, 00:07:13.583 --> 00:07:16.875 the sex of the bumblebee, humidity, temperature, weather, 00:07:16.875 --> 00:07:20.208 all that stuff to kind of keep track of population, 00:07:20.208 --> 00:07:20.999 but also flower preference 00:07:20.999 --> 00:07:24.458 and kind of how populations fluctuate throughout the season. 00:07:24.458 --> 00:07:25.625 And that's one of my favorite things 00:07:25.625 --> 00:07:28.999 about citizen science is that anyone can get involved. 00:07:28.999 --> 00:07:31.166 - There are a lot of ways you can get involved 00:07:31.166 --> 00:07:33.999 in protecting and advocating for pollinators 00:07:33.999 --> 00:07:34.709 and their habitat. 00:07:34.709 --> 00:07:37.999 You can start by building a bee house for your backyard, 00:07:37.999 --> 00:07:40.999 or planting a pollinator garden at your school. 00:07:40.999 --> 00:07:44.250 You could even try participating in citizen science programs 00:07:44.250 --> 00:07:46.999 or start advocating for protective laws 00:07:46.999 --> 00:07:48.999 that safeguard pollinator habitat. 00:07:48.999 --> 00:07:52.834 All of these can directly or indirectly help pollinators, 00:07:52.834 --> 00:07:56.834 protect habitats, and save our food resources. 00:07:56.834 --> 00:08:01.709 So, make like a bee and get busy. 00:08:02.999 --> 00:08:06.000 [gentle music] 00:08:10.999 --> 00:08:14.166 Spoiler: it's bad. 00:08:14.166 --> 00:08:15.291 Not the sandwich. 00:08:15.291 --> 00:08:16.999 I'm getting weirder. 00:08:18.208 --> 00:08:19.999 Aaah!