February 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 58

NRPA UPDATE
Helping to Advance Pollinator Health
By Michele White, CAE, IOM

I

f you have been paying attention to the news lately, you have probably
heard about the dire situation facing pollinators, like honey bees and
butterflies. Their population counts around the world are dwindling,
and it hasn't gone unnoticed. Since 2016, eight pollinator species in the
United States have been added to the endangered species list, the most recent being the rusty patched bumble bee. Pollinators are vital to our ecosystems. Without them, life as we know it would be drastically different. Not
only do our agricultural systems rely on these mighty workers, (1 in 3 bites
of food are here because of them), but our local ecosystems do as well.
mine the public's knowledge of
pollinators and protection strategies, and determining if members
of the public understood how their
personal actions can make a difference. Two different surveys were
conducted: a national online omnibus survey and a public survey
conducted in five park agencies
across the country. The results are
important for our field to understand, so we can educate our com-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA ALTOM

Understanding the urgency for
action, NRPA launched Parks for
Pollinators, a national campaign
focused on raising public awareness about the current pollinator
crisis, to encourage local action
and position parks as a national leader in advancing pollinator
health. The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Foundation supported the launch
of this campaign, including sponsoring a national survey to deter-

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Parks & Recreation

munities and help them make a
difference to save pollinators.

Omnibus Survey Results
The omnibus survey, reporting the
views of more than 1,000 nationally representative adults, ages 18
and over, was conducted this past
summer. These survey results
tell a very encouraging story but
also highlight that park and recreation agencies have some work
to do. We learned that nearly all
Americans (95 percent) agree
communities should make special
efforts to create designated areas
for plants that support the health
and growth of pollinators - with
more than 2 in 3 Americans (68
percent) completely or strongly
agreeing with this statement. Parents (74 percent) are more likely
than non-parents (65 percent) and
Americans overall (68 percent) to
also completely or strongly agree
with this statement. Knowing that
most Americans support these actions can help inform the way we
plan when building or updating
our public spaces.
We also learned that while most
Americans (66 percent) indicate
they want to see pollinator efforts
made in and by the community,
they are not completely or very
confident in knowing what to do
when it comes to their own actions
in helping to conserve pollinators.

One in 3 bites of food are possible because of pollinators like this bee.
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February 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2019 - Parks & Recreation
