![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/kforesto_Tidmarsh-9256.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMass Audubon has made it a priority to protect and promote pollinators\u2019 health.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A rapid decline in pollinators like\u00a0bees<\/a>,\u00a0birds<\/a>,\u00a0butterflies<\/a>, and\u00a0bats<\/a>\u00a0is threatening biodiversity both globally and here at home. \u00a0The thousands of plant-pollinator interactions that sustain our food supply and natural environment are under threat by multiple, interacting factors including habitat loss, pesticide use, invasive species, disease, and climate change.<\/p>\n This is why our Advocacy department identified\u00a0An Act to Protect Pollinators\u00a0<\/a>as a legislative priority. This Act, sponsored by Representative Mary Keefe (D-Worcester) and Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester),\u00a0establishes a commission to investigate methods and solutions to protect and promote pollinators\u2019 health. The bill would require the commission to include individuals with expertise in the protection of pollinators, wildlife protection and expertise in native plants.<\/p>\n MDAR is also updating its Apiary Program<\/a>,\u00a0which provides\u00a0supports to honey\u00a0beekeepers, pesticide applicators, farmers, land managers, educators, regulators and government officials.<\/p>\n Most recently, Mass Audubon\u2019s President Gary Clayton (pictured) was on hand\u00a0to celebrate the opening<\/a> of the second state apiary at Essex Technical High School, a collection of beehives, which will be used for education and academic research. This state-funded new apiary will consist of six honey bee hives located within a 30 foot by 100 foot plot on the campus of Essex Technical High School.<\/p>\n Learn more about the MDAR Apiary Program<\/a> and what you can do to protect pollinators.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mass Audubon has made it a priority to protect and promote pollinators\u2019 health. A rapid decline in pollinators like\u00a0bees,\u00a0birds,\u00a0butterflies, and\u00a0bats\u00a0is threatening biodiversity both globally and here at home. \u00a0The thousands of plant-pollinator interactions that sustain our food supply and natural environment are under threat by multiple, interacting factors including habitat loss, pesticide use, invasive species, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-get-involved","category-nature-notes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-2r8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7281,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/six-native-plants-to-grow-for-pollinators\/","url_meta":{"origin":9370,"position":0},"title":"Six Native Plants to Grow for Pollinators","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"One major way to help pollinators thrive\u2014and beautify an outdoor space\u2014is to plant a native pollinator garden. Here are six native plants to grow for pollinators.","rel":"","context":"In "Gardening"","block_context":{"text":"Gardening","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/gardening\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/03\/flowers_Red-Columbine_sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/03\/flowers_Red-Columbine_sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/03\/flowers_Red-Columbine_sm.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15948,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-pollinator-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":9370,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Pollinator Power","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It's National Pollinator Week! This is a time to celebrate pollinators and raise awareness about how to protect them. So what are pollinators? Pollinators are creatures that help plants reproduce by spreading\u00a0a powdery material called pollen among flowers of the same species when the sticky pollen attaches to their bodies\u2014many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hummingbird Clearwing Moth on beebalm \u00a9 Lynne Harding","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14000,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/climate-change-and-pollinators\/","url_meta":{"origin":9370,"position":2},"title":"Climate Change Disrupts Pollinator Buzz and Bustle","author":"Rishya N.","date":"May 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Every spring our world blossoms with life: melodious bird song accompanies the bursts of growth in our plants, flowers, and trees. As our backyards and neighborhoods fill with bright colors and vivid aromas, a special group of animals work behind-the-scenes to ensure the survival of our flora: pollinators. Hairy-banded Andrena\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17525,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/ditch-the-lawnmower-this-spring\/","url_meta":{"origin":9370,"position":3},"title":"Ditch the Lawnmower This Spring","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"May 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Studies show that letting grass grow longer increases the abundance and diversity of native insects, so a change in how we approach mowing helps our native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators get a good start to the season. Fostering early growth allows flowers to fully bloom, letting native plants like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/0074_FarmTrekkers_074-1200x800-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/0074_FarmTrekkers_074-1200x800-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/0074_FarmTrekkers_074-1200x800-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/0074_FarmTrekkers_074-1200x800-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/0074_FarmTrekkers_074-1200x800-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15439,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-native-plants-that-pollinators-love\/","url_meta":{"origin":9370,"position":4},"title":"Take 5: Native Plants that Pollinators Love","author":"Ryan D.","date":"April 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It's not an exaggeration to say that the biodiversity of our entire ecosystem depends on pollinators. Animals like birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, and other insects feed on plants, and in doing so, help 80% of the world's plant species reproduce. Over the last few decades, pollinator populations have declined\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gardening"","block_context":{"text":"Gardening","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/gardening\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Common Milkweed \u00a9 Laura Ferraguto","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/4577Laura_Ferraguto33550.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/4577Laura_Ferraguto33550.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/4577Laura_Ferraguto33550.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/4577Laura_Ferraguto33550.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11233,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-national-pollinator-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":9370,"position":5},"title":"Take 5: National Pollinator Week!","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"June 18\u201324 is National Pollinator Week and we're celebrating these wonderful and critical creatures that provide a much needed and under-appreciated service to us and to the natural world. The vast majority of flowering plants on earth need help from pollinators to reproduce; we need pollinators for our food supply\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Monarch Butterfly \u00a9 Rachel Bellenoit","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/06\/3093Rachel_Bellenoit18955_fi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/06\/3093Rachel_Bellenoit18955_fi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/06\/3093Rachel_Bellenoit18955_fi.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9370"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9386,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9370\/revisions\/9386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/FullSizeRender-11-300x262.jpg\")
In addition, Mass Audubon provided extensive input that helped shape the\u00a0Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources\u2019 (MDAR) recently released Pollinator Protection Plan<\/a>, which includes Best Management Practices for groups from beekeepers to farmers to homeowners and gardeners, all of whom can take steps to minimize impacts to pollinators and encourage their populations to thrive.<\/p>\n