Untitled Document

What would we do
without the birds and the bees?!

For 13 years, Pollinator Week has been an ongoing essential partnership between birds, bugs and bees with agriculture and government agencies. ITD continually supports and promotes awareness to the issue of pollinator conservation, as pollinators play a vital role for both our agricultural food supply and a healthy environment.

Now an international event, Pollinator Week (June 22-28, 2020) shines a spotlight on the vital role of pollinators in our agriculture and ecosystems. Pollinators bring us 1 of every 3 bites of food, promote ecosystem health, and lay the foundation for a sustainable future.

Pollinator species such as birds and insects are increasingly recognized as essential partners of farmers and ranchers in producing much of our food supply. Because Idaho is so agriculturally dependent, that partnership is especially important in the Gem State.

ITD is involved in several activities that promote pollinators/pollinator habitats, most notably the Operation Wildflower Program, where districts distribute native wildflowers to volunteer groups to seed in selected areas.

“ITD uses a variety of native seed species (some are native pollinator plant species) for revegetation activities on construction and maintenance projects around the state,” said ITD Roadside Program Administrator Cathy Ford.

This year, numerous districts found additional ways to help promote pollinator awareness. District 4 in south-central Idaho has done a great job of planting and maintaining a pollinator garden at the westbound Bliss rest area.

And just recently, District 5’s Environmental Planner, Alissa Salmore, received the approval to install some pollinator plantings at the district office in Pocatello. Ground has been broken in several locations already to begin planting.

"The new D5 office pollinator planting beds will include small-stature flowering shrubs and perennial flowers, including some milkweed plants (for Monarch butterflies) that we salvaged in April from a state-forces project which piped a lateral irrigation ditch crossing through the Blackfoot shed yard," explained Salmore. "We will aim to provide blooming plants from early spring through fall to best support pollinators. I think the humans will like it, too."

The volunteer Adopt A Highway Program is another great example, where volunteer groups clean litter from sections of roadways, removing trash and making the area more desirable for bugs and bees to pollinate.

There are specific examples, like the Portneuf River Wetlands Preserve (formerly Price Road Wetland Mitigation project) near McCammon in District 5 (pictured several years ago, at right). The site was established in 2007 as part of U.S. 30 GARVEE construction, and was planted with native plant species in 2008 and 2009. After about eight years, the 22-acre site has evolved into a sanctuary that supports several birds and mammal species as well as provides several flowering species beneficial to pollinators, including penstemon, wild rose, goldenrod, yarrow, milkweed, dogwood, hawthorne and willows.

Pollination plays a vital role in the health of our national forests and grasslands, which provide forage, fish and wildlife, timber, water, mineral resources and recreational opportunities, as well as enhanced economic development opportunities for communities.

The Pollinator Partnership celebrates National Pollinator Week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. ITD also takes part in partnership projects with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish & Game, and other state and federal agencies.

Read more about what the Idaho Botanical Gardens are doing to support Pollinator Week!