by Kristina Lefever We are super happy that we have been seeing more butterflies and moths around our garden this summer and fall - right here in the heart of Phoenix! Seeing a variety of these winged jewels means that our landscape is starting to become an ecosystem, albeit a tiny one, with host plants that serve the caterpillars. Yes, "host" means the plant will get eaten! Some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are specialists, like the monarch with its single host plant, milkweed ..... we sure wish our milkweed had been eaten this summer. Others, like the gorgeous West Coast Lady and the Buckeye butterflies who recently graced our side garden, are amenable to a varied diet in the larval stage. OK, granted, not all caterpillars are 'good' guys (even I get irritated by holes in my kale leaves!), and some moths are not even pollinators (some species don't eat in the adult stage so they don't visit flowers). But regardless, all butterflies and moths fill a niche in the ecosystem (eg, I have seen finches pecking those pesky green 'worms' off the kale leaves!). So, thinking beyond the flowers, helping our gardens nurture all stages and species of the pollinator / insect lifecycles means there will be food for birds, other insects, and even lizards! Enjoy our growing photo album of pollinators and more! Of course, the bees are always exciting, and we love seeing so many of the small (some are tiny!) native bees on the flowers of our plants - the Grindelia nana (Idaho gumweed) is quite the go-to flower! We are also thrilled also see digger, mining, sweat, wool carder, and leaf cutter bees, along with several species of bumble bees, including the handsome Brown-belted Bumble Bee. And the best part is that we know they are nesting around the property - we even discovered one female mining (?) bee making a nest in the sidewalk! (It's often difficult to identify the smaller bees to species without capturing them, chilling them, and and looking at them under a magnifier - and then releasing them!) Hoverflies are becoming quite common here, which is good, as they are the best pollinators after bees. There are many numerous species, so they can vary in size and color, but you can usually spot them - hovering! - as if they are trying to decide where to land. These bee-mimics bring a bonus to your garden - in the larval stage (ie, small 'worms'), they eat lots of aphids and other tiny pests, so look carefully before squishing the afore-mentioned green 'worms'. (Hoverfly larvae are pale green with a white stripe - see photo in album). We appreciate the several species of wasps we've seen - good guys, because they "clean up" dead things, and/or take out the bad guys. Looking closely, we have seen a beautiful lacewing (a predatory insect), not to mention leafhoppers and some other unknown 'bugs'. Beyond the insect world, we occasionally see a hummingbird or two flit through the garden. But now that we have a hummingbird feeder in place, thanks to our wonderful friend Deb Vroman, we are seeing them regularly! (But have yet to prove this with a photo.) For the last 2 years we have been counting the pollinators and other insects we see in our gardens, so we can determine how the numbers of species and the actual numbers evolve over time, as well as within the different seasons of the garden. We have completed our fifth Pollinator Count for this summer, about a month apart and each about 15 minutes, following up on the two Counts we did last year. Perhaps you would like to undertake your own Citizen Science! It's best to schedule the monitoring once or twice a year at least, at more or less the same time. Find a place in your yard or neighborhood that you can walk for the same amount of time at each session, that either does or will have flowering plants blooming most of the year. It's easier with at least 2 people, scanning only about 3 feet out and trying not to count the same insect twice (not always easy). You'll want to document your findings over time - we took this excellent Monitoring Protocol from the Xerces Society and revised the tracking form to fit our purpose and garden area, as you can see in the album of our Pollinator Counts. You may also want to take photos of the insects you see. Not surprisingly, we are finding more of everything in this garden now! Compare a 'before' photo in Spring 2019 ....... with one from June 2021 We are very thankful to continue to have the support of the community that helps maintain our gardens here at The Pollination Place. Yes, this is a demonstration garden growing native plants, but it is also growing community. We are thankful for the volunteers who help us tend the garden, create educational materials, and more. We are thankful to be able to collect seed to grow them out for more plants, or to package them, for sales or donations to the community. We are thankful for all of you who are supporting us on this journey. And, of course, we are thankful for the pollinators, who bring us such joy in our gardens.

by Caitlin Bishop Photo by Kyle Poling A few months ago, Kristina Lefever, our Director, sat down for a conversation with Jeanine Moy, Program Director for Vesper Meadow, to learn more about this ‘Restorative Preserve’ located east 30 miles east of Ashland--a “rare upland meadow site that prioritizes native food plant cultivation and ecological values”. Jeanine shared some of their long-term projects and upcoming activities at the Meadow, including “low-tech process-based restoration” of the creek (or, beaver-based restoration - how exciting!), bee, butterfly, and bird monitoring projects, tending and protecting native plants and first foods, and, of course, pollinators! In particular, Kristina wanted to find out more about the recent decision to remove honey bee hives from the land. Jeanine explained that one of the initial motivations for keeping bees on site was to comply with the zoning requirements when it was purchased and to avoid retroactive taxes on the property, which was originally zoned as an “exclusive farm use” property. Once a conservation easement was instated on the property and zoning was no longer a concern, it allowed for a broader conversation about whether keeping honeybees - a nonnative species - aligned with the vision of Vesper Meadow. Ultimately, it was decided to remove all 12 hives. Here is what Jeanine had to share about this decision: “The reason we are choosing not to have hives anymore- even though the honey is so lovely- is because of the increasing amount of research coming out showing the detrimental effects of nonnative honeybees on native bees and other pollinators.” She continued, “And not just pollinators. There has been research on camas seed populations, which showed that it’s not as effectively pollinated by honeybees … so the genetic diversity of the seeds is being degraded.” Camas (cammasia quamash) grew in great abundance in Vesper Meadow prior to settlers running cows on the land, and was an important first food for indigenous people in addition to native pollinators. For so many of us, the iconic image of a honeybee is what first comes to mind when we hear the word “pollinate”. And, understandably. Humans have spent thousands of years in direct relationship with Apis mellifera, tending to their hives and harvesting cherished goods and medicines such honey, beeswax, and propolis, as well as benefiting from their athleticism and versatility as “super generalist pollinators''. Honeybees were introduced to this land by Europeans in the 17th century because of these precise commercial benefits; and the U.S. apiculture industry has grown into a $700 million dollar industry, with hobby beekeeping (or backyard beekeeping) becoming increasingly popular. The decline of honeybee populations receives widespread awareness and represents a genuine ecological and economic concern, and yet often missing from this picture are the incredibly vulnerable and equally important wild and native pollinators. It is estimated that there are over 500 native bee species in the state of Oregon, and 3,600 species native to the United States (SOU Oregon Bee Atlas). Native bees pollinate 80% of the flowering plants around the world, and have evolved in direct relationship with native plant species. “Little is known about the population status of most of the more than 3600 species of bees in the United States … However, what little information we do have suggests that many native species are experiencing population declines. A recent global analysis found that 40% of pollinator species may be at risk of extinction in the coming years”(Xerces Society). The idea that the European honeybee could be negatively impacting the viability of indigenous plants and insects deeply challenges the current dominant narrative of honeybees as intrinsic and imperiled. And yet, in addition to the obvious offenders - habitat loss, climate change, and use of neonicotinoid pesticides - research continues to reveal the surprising scope of Apis mellifera’s disproportionate impact on the struggle of native bees. Humboldt State Professor Brian Dykstra presented some of this research in his very informative “Decolonizing Bees” presentation to the Insect Sciences Museum of California, which included the stunning estimation that “Every hundred hives removes pollen and nectar enough to produce 10 million native bees” (Jim Cane, Research Entomologist USDA-ARS). This occurs through the honeybees’ ability to outcompete native bees for the pollen and nectar critical to their survival, and may be especially significant for specialist pollinators who are unable to shift to other sources of food. In addition to interfering in the relationship between native plants and the wild bees that have evolved to pollinate them, European honeybees may also be responsible for disease transmission to native bees, and represent risks to native plant communities through affecting plant reproduction and preferentially foraging on invasive plants (Xerces society). This is the research Jeanine referred to when discussing the need to mitigate the potential harm to camas by removing the honeybee colonies from Vesper Meadow. I am a volunteer with PPRV, and have written much of this article from a lawn chair in my backyard, perched closely enough to my own beehive to feel the hum of their organized communication and the little taps of their bodies on my bare skin. I have a tattoo of a honeybee on my arm, jars of honey in my kitchen, and medicinal salves made from my own beeswax lining my medicine cabinet. I have loved Apis mellifera for as long as I can remember, and it has been eye-opening and painful to encounter the perspective of pollination as an issue of colonization. While the European honeybee will always have a piece of my heart, I can no longer pretend that stewarding them is the act of ecological conservation I once believed it was, and I know that this will be the last colony to grace my yard and my life. Rather than experience this solely as a loss, I see it as an invitation to complicate, decolonize, and rewild my understanding of the landscape I currently call home, and a wonderful opportunity to center the hundreds of species of wild and native bees and their botanical dance partners within my attention and actions. I want to make room for the wild, the solitary, the underground, the fluffy, the mysterious, and the barely-visible-to-the-naked-eye indigenous pollinators who have been tending this earth for tens of thousands of years, under the soil, in the skies, and among the blossoms. Their preservation is of utmost importance. I want to learn their names. I want to hear their stories. “The topic of colonization covers some traumatic truths, so please be aware. Ignoring or minimizing the impacts of European colonization and European honeybees as part of that process, is a real problem on many levels (ecological, cultural, psychological, etc), and in part can be countered by acknowledging and listening to the voices and stories of Indigenous peoples and native bees.” -Brian Dykstra

by Caitlin Bishop An important component in the emergence of our From Fire to Flowers initiative was the generous donation of 120 plant pots by EcoForms, a family-run business located in Northern California. EcoForms manufactures biodegradable planting pots made entirely from renewable grain fibers and plant by-products, as a more ecologically appropriate alternative to the traditional black plastic gardening pot that can be found in almost every plant lover’s shed or yard. Not only are these pots completely biodegradable, they are touted to last 5 years outdoors and 10 years indoors, are thaw and frost resistant, and are QUITE gorgeous to look at (personal opinion!). In doing some research about why the need for an alternative product, I uncovered much about the nuances of plastics and the myth of recycling. For instance, referring to plastics in general, more than 76% of the plastic used in United States goes to landfills each year (based on a 2017 EPA report). When it comes to black gardening pots specifically, well, guess what -- it turns out they aren't actually recyclable at all! They are dyed with a carbon ink that can't be sufficiently broken down, and are considered single use plastics. At the risk of painting with too broad a brush, it seems fair to suggest that most folks who spend their free time working in the soil, cultivating new life via garden beds and lovingly tending their beautiful landscapes are cognizant of the precarious position of our natural world, and care deeply. I’m certain I’m not alone in carrying around bamboo silverware to avoid plastic forks, and yet haven’t given the same consideration to plastic pots once they’ve exceeded their purpose in my yard. To me, this is the larger and truer offering of the wonderful EcoForms donation. Not only is Pollinator Project Rogue Valley able to offer portable native plants to support our fire-affected neighbors, we can do so without the perpetuation of petroleum-dependent products and with a renewed awareness of the larger issue of sustainability in the world of gardening. And, we notice that the soil in these pots do not seem to dry out as fast. We are so thankful to Jed and Andrea Loveday-Brown for their assistance with bringing the From Fire to Flowers project to life!

~ by Julia Babb If you drove through downtown Phoenix last week, you may have noticed that there is now a “bare spot” at the southeast corner of the fence between The Pollination Place and the Oregon Cheese Cave. “Didn’t there used to be a nice big tree there?” you may have asked yourself. “Perfectly good tree. Wonder why they cut it down.” Well, I wondered too, so I talked with Kristina Lefever, President of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, to see if she could shed some light on why the tree was removed. She had one word for me: Invasive. It seems you have to live with a tree to really know its character. The first summer after relocating to Main Street in 2019, Kristina was out gardening and noticed…well, a rather stinky smell. An odor, really, and none too pleasant! She identified the source as that tree, one Ailanthus altissima, also known as “Tree of Heaven,” probably for marketing reasons…in China (where it originated), it is more aptly known as chouchun, or 'foul smelling tree.’ (Yes, I’ll take one! Ha!) This flowering ornamental tree is of the “pop-up” variety—a fast growing plant (3-6 feet a year for the first four years!) that prefers disturbed landscapes—thus favored by municipalities for its ability to provide shade quickly, and sure, they are nice-looking enough. Unfortunately, though, they really don’t pull their own weight, eco-systematically. The flowers do attract pollinators, unfortunately: honey bees, flies (which like the ‘fetid’ smell) and some beetles, and one or two bird species might eat the berries. Otherwise, they don’t engage with the community of native species, except to take over; and in fact, they excrete a substance toxic to other species—plants AND people! The first of its kind in America arrived in Philadelphia in the late 1700s, and grew in popularity so much that it was available at nurseries everywhere by 1840. Trivia Alert: It was the main metaphor in Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Yes, A. altissima is that scrappy little tree! How ‘bout that? The first specimens on the West Coast specifically were brought by Chinese Immigrants as they arrived to take part in the California Gold Rush in the 1850s. So many people planted Ailanthus altissima on their property that it inevitably “escaped cultivation” and became more or less an aggressive weed, an ecological bully. And not just in the Rogue Valley or the west coast—this is a global issue, with people in Australia and Europe dealing with it, too! A. altissima has survived and spread by strategies other than pollination. Aside from their early favored status in cities and towns across America, its twin strategy—lots of seeds and super tenacious root systems—actually, I mean really determined and highly persistent root systems. So persistent in fact that the other (better) name is “Tree of Hell”. Eradication is difficult to put it weakly, and usually requires a persistent combination of hand pulling/cutting the suckers, and (sorry to say) maybe poison application. Kristina had broached the subject of a 35-foot invasive tree on Main Street with the City of Phoenix, but since the tree was on private property, there was nothing they could do. The landowner (owner of the Phoenix Club) agreed that it should be taken out, but what about the cost? Then one day, Tom Doolittle visited The Pollination Place, and Kristina referenced the tree in rather unkindly language—and Tom offered to take it on! So, just last week, Tom appeared with the trusty assistance from friend Dave Maher, and down it came. (See photos below.) Ahhhh! Much better. Now the Pollinator Garden will get more sunlight, and less toxicity, too. Now that the tree is down, we are on the watch for any headstrong roots that might start sending up seedlings so we can eradicate them at once. If you happen to have one of these feckless, heedless non-natives growing on your property, have mercy on our local ecosystem! I hear the wood makes a nice warming fire! For more information than you ever knew you needed to know, refer to this data compiled by the USDA and US Forest Service. Enjoy!

~ by Julia Babb To start the New Year off right, PPRV is delighted to introduce and congratulate Pete Gonzalves as our “Volunteer in the Spotlight” for January, 2021! I recently asked Pete how he got involved as a PPRV “Pollinteer”, and he recounted that about four or five years ago, he was tabling for the Rogue River Watershed Council at the Land Steward’s “Living on Your Land Conference”. As is typical of “tablers” at these events, Pete and Kristina strolled around at the conference and visited each other at their respective tables. They introduced themselves and got to chatting about how their organizations supported people who were already living on their land, or wanted to. Pete has a wealth of knowledge with regard to native plants, pollinators, and organics, gleaned from his wide range of experience here in the Valley and beyond. He has done everything from working at nurseries, to serving as a board member of the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society (writing letters to the Bureau of Land Management about rare and endangered native plant species), to working at the USDA’s Plant Materials Center doing research and development as a Native Plants Technician. Oh, he was also the Executive Director of Oregon Tilth in the early 2000’s, and is very knowledgeable about fruit tree pest management and organic certification, too! Despite all these impressive credentials, Pete humbly describes his interest in native plants as a hobby. He loves propagating native shrubs, and is also growing several plants at his new home nursery--rosemary, lavender and pelargonium--for his neighbors. AND, he is sharing his super powers with PPRV as well! Last year, while working on his Land Steward Certification, Pete learned that he would need to volunteer for an organization related to land stewardship in order to fulfill the requirements of the program. He remembered Kristina and PPRV, so he reached out to see if there might be a project he could help with. Indeed there was! PPRV had been wanting to create educational cards about the native plants we have growing in our frontscape at the office. Our idea was to provide a handy guide to help Rogue Valley gardeners learn how to support pollinators with native plant species. Well, Pete jumped right into the project, writing all the descriptions for these cards for some 30 plant species--the plants, the pollinators they support, and the optimal soil, sunlight and water conditions for each plant. Yet another of his super powers is the ability to write clear, concise descriptions that fit on a 6 x 10 card along with graphics and photos! With Pete’s help, we are now on the home stretch to finishing our lovely and informative Native Plant Pollinator Garden Guide! With his impressive knowledge of and experience with Oregon’s native plants and pollinators, we consider ourselves very fortunate to work with and recognize Pete as our Pollinteer this month! Congratulations on your Land Steward Certification, Pete! And many thanks for all your help with our new Native Plant Pollinator Garden Guide! Happy 2021!

Image courtesy of The Xerces Society By Kristina Lefever Published in the Ashland Daily Tidings Originally Posted Oct 29, 2017 at 11:45 AM Summer has bee-come fall, a most glorious and invigorating season, with brilliant colors, cooler temps and an underlying urgency to get things done. But yet, as nights become longer, we (hopefully) are finding time for a little more sleep and rest. Fall also brings a feeling of melancholy, as we watch our gardens wane, and notice bees and butterflies disappearing from the landscape — they also know it’s time to sleep and rest! Many beneficial insects, so critical for the food on our table and the natural world around us, live only weeks in the adult stage, the stage we humans most easily recognize and interact with. Although some species hibernate in the adult stage, many species overwinter as eggs, pupae or chrysalises. These fragile life forms must make it through the Winter to be ready to emerge in spring to begin anew the important work of that insect species. If you knew where to look, you would find them in the soil, in hollow plant stalks, attached to leaves and twigs, or nestled under fallen leaves — hidden and safe during the coldest season. Except. Fall also seems to be time to “clean up” gardens and yards, a time of leaf blowers and rakes and composting. And all of a sudden these invisible but oh-so-invaluable bits of life are blown or swept away, or stuffed into bags or bins. As strange as it may seem, it’s important to NOT clean up our gardens in the fall. NOT cleaning up the garden helps ensure native bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies such as hoverflies, and other beneficial insects have a place to nest and overwinter. NOT cleaning up your garden means there will be plenty of fallen leaves, standing plant stalks, shrubby plants and grasses, and patches of soil in which these insects can find a protected place to hide and transform. Where else would they go? I agree with Justin Wheeler of The Xerces Society, who writes: “You gave them flowers and a place to nest. You tended your garden and avoided pesticides. Don’t carry all of that hard work out to the curb. Simply put, when we treat leaves like trash, we’re tossing out the beautiful moths and butterflies that we’ll surely miss and work so very hard to attract.” Read more of Justin's blog here: https://xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves

Hoverfly on coyote mint, Anise swallowtail on echinacea, Long horn bee on sunflower, Tarweed seedhead Photos by Kristina Lefever by Kristina Lefever The world has changed a lot since our last ​issue of The Pollinator Times. Too many months have gone by with no newsletter .... even though we have been busy buzzing like a-you-know-what​. But ​also distracted​, ​discombobulated, overwhelmed, and stuck​​. With so many important issues in the world right now, it's hard to know what to do - federal, state, or local, it all needs fixing -- on so many fronts. With the urgent need to DO something, many of you are! COVID, racial injustice, climate change, homelessness, voter rights - all such big issues, and all are needing solutions right now.​ Just as importantly, although perhaps not as obviously so, is protecting pollinators. We hope ​that among the many things you are doing, providing for pollinators is part of the mix in some way. Because everything we do, no matter how small, is making a difference. Perhaps ​you are creating​ or expanding a garden space, or spending time in a garden, or learning about pollinators, or just immersing yourself in the beauty and ​biodiversity that we are blessed with here in this part of the country now called the Rogue Valley. We can only imagine how incredible this place must have been prior to the 1800's, and we gratefully acknowledge and honor the original peoples - Takelma, Shasta, and the many other recognized and unrecognized tribes - who lived and knew these lands in ways that are beyond our modern-day comprehension. So consider: how can we, in our own time, honor both these peoples and this place, and help restore and heal the land? For those of you creating and enhancing your gardens and landscapes - do your plans include native plants? Because native plants are so important for our native pollinators - did you know that some bee, butterfly and moth species are 'specialists', meaning they depend on certain flowers and/or plants to survive and procreate? The monarch and milkweed relationship is well-known, but there are others. Not only are native pollinators part of the food chain themselves, they are critical to the regeneration of many of our beautiful native plant species - from madrones to huckleberries to camas - that also provide food and habitat for birds and other wildlife. And people too! We have learned so much from Dr. Doug Tallamy, who has been sharing his message about the importance of native plants for years. Here is just one of his many videos (not to mention books) on the subject. Please keep in mind he is from Delaware, so many of these species he references will not be found here in Southern Oregon. In addition, many native bees are better pollinators than honey bees for many of our food plants (fruit trees and bushes, blueberries, tomatoes, squash, alliums, and more). And I encourage you to let your lettuce, herbs, brassicas, and onions go to flower, as they will attract and support many other pollinators, such as hoverflies, beetles, and tiny wasps -- and also provide you with free seed! Many of these seeds are also bird food -- finches love lettuce seed! So, let's assume that outdoor living is the new norm for years to come. How can we create gardens and landscapes that meet human aesthetics as well as the needs of insects, birds, lizards, and other wildlife that share this planet we call home? Because, yes - we can create spaces that are beautiful for humans and are inviting to pollinator‘s at the same time! There is a plethora of annuals, perennials, shrubs, grasses, and trees that bloom at different times throughout the year, serve as host plants for these insects, and also provide interest in different seasons. And, if they are also drought tolerant and deer resistant, they are winners for sure. Perhaps not surprisingly, many native plants meet all of those requirements, although we will be the first to admit that there are plenty of non-native plants that are excellent additions to a pollinator landscape. Sunflowers, lavenders, salvias, and zinnias are just a few of our non-native favorites. Every gardener has a unique landscape - different soil, moisture, elevation, sun exposure, etc. Beginning there and then looking for what is appropriate is the first piece of the puzzle. For instance, at The Pollination Place in Phoenix, it doesn't look like it would be easy to have a garden there: facing west, the sun starts baking the DG (decomposed granite) soil early in the morning, and heat radiates off the sidewalk. So of course we wanted to try growing native species that thrive in that type of environment ..... and we are! The plants have grown so fast, and either have bloomed or still are blooming like crazy. And the best part is that, with only a few exceptions, weeks go by without watering - even though this is their first summer, and yes, even during those too many 100+ degree days. The majority of these native plants are "straight" species, meaning they have not been hybridized, and so may be unfamiliar to many gardeners. This garden has certainly been a learning experience for us, but we feel we are achieving our goals: to both educate and encourage people to learn about, and of course, plant native plants; increase the seed supply of these plants (we are collecting); propagate some of the plants to sell and share; help create a larger demand for these plants so the nursery industry will increase their supply; and support the growers of these plants who are leading the way. And, last but perhaps first - increase the supply of flowers, plants, leaves, and seeds that will support a diverse array of pollinators, other insects, and birds at 312 N. Main St., Phoenix! We hope you will enjoy the videos we’ve been making, and will peruse the list of native plants that we are so excited to see growing there. We invite you to come by and pick up a hardcopy of the list and take a self-guided tour. We will soon have ‘plant cards’ available with more information about each plant - stay tuned! And please check out our Resources page for more information about pollinators and plantings! Have questions or suggestions? Drop us a line at pollinatorprojectroguevalley@gmail.com

By Laura Jessup About four years ago, I moved to a sweet old home on 3 1⁄2 acres. Tall pines and giant oaks surround the house, native pink clarkia and yellow madia bloom each summer in the open field, and Oregon grape adds color to the understory in spring. These are hardy native plants able to hold space among the many non-native grasses and forbs introduced over the years. However, in the riparian areas there was just one species that squeezed out nearly everything: Himalayan blackberry, a delicious but pernicious invasive plant that not only out-competes nearly all natives, but also accumulates hazardous wildfire fuel. The fire marshal was appalled. The neighborhood FireWise community was concerned. On nearly two acres, Rubus armeniacus had formed a prickly impenetrable thicket -- twenty feet high in places! Introduced by Luther Burbank in 1885, Himalayan “giant” blackberry has become a giant problem. On our property, these introduced blackberries mangled small madrone trees, pushed down mock orange, covered snowberry and ferns, and shaded out acorn sprouts and pine saplings. It was a sea of blackberry, dry canes becoming deeper and denser as the new growth smothered all plants below. Gone were the native plants that once thrived in the riparian area, and gone were the diverse native pollinators that depended on the native plants. There was not a trace of the native thimbleberry, blackcap raspberry, and salmonberry that once coexisted in harmony with snowberry, vine maple, and mock orange, among others, a balance that allowed for a diverse flora and fauna. The slopes and creek were covered with just one species: blackberry. But this villain of a plant is no match for our heroines -- enter two nannies, retired from a small dairy farm, with a keen appetite for blackberry. Goats are well equipped for eating brush and especially enjoy blackberries. Their prehensile tongues are well suited for eating shrubs, spines, and leaves, making them well adapted for eating thorny blackberry canes. Goats also prefer to browse rather than graze, so instead of grazing on grasses, they focus their eating on leaves and twigs. Researchers in the United States and Europe have found that goats effectively clear vegetation and can improve plant diversity. The key is to balance the number of goats with the rate of plant growth. If the rate of plant removal is lower than the rate of plant growth, then grazing can reduce vegetation without damaging the ecosystem. The critical factors are the number of animals and the time the animals are allowed to graze. For our small farm, we first cut the blackberry thatch. Next, we fenced about an acre of blackberries by building a fence of woven wire and two strands of electric wire to keep the goats in, since goats are notorious escape artists known to jump over, push through, or burrow under fences. Finally, we built a shed so the goats could be safe from predators during the night. Next, we “rescued” two Alpine dairy goats that had been culled from the herd and were destined for the butcher. These ladies promptly set to work. Our two goats happily cleared an acre of robust blackberry regrowth in about a year. They continue to clear blackberry regrowth, but now require additional feed to reduce the grazing pressure on native trees and grasses that we hope will replace the blackberries. Remember, goats will eat just about anything and can quickly kill a tree by stripping the bark and even climbing branches to pull down leaves! For additional feed, we occasionally buy timothy hay; however, my preference is to simply toss into the pasture downed limbs or prunings from trees and bushes around our property. Last winter, we threw into the pasture fruit tree prunings, birch branches, even our dry Christmas tree, and within a week or two the goats had stripped the leaves, twigs, and bark, leaving us with great kindling for the wood stove! To protect native plants, I built hardware-cloth cages around several volunteer snowberry, honeysuckle, Oregon grape, ferns, and wild strawberries. I didn’t cage the volunteer poison oak; although poison oak is a native plant and the birds love the berries, since we have poison oak growing elsewhere I thought it okay if the goats enjoy keeping the population from spreading. Goats love poison oak, too! For the next few years, we’ll need to carefully manage our goat grazing to balance blackberry removal with a healthy ecosystem. Studies of other restoration projects have shown that goats are effective at eliminating blackberry and re-establishing native grasses, and can even improve soil health. Several recent studies show that goat grazing can improve the soil by enriching microbial communities. The goat droppings increase nutrients and beneficial bacteria in the soil. In our restoration project, within about three years the two goats will nearly eliminate the blackberries in their 1-acre pasture. I’ve begun sowing native grasses and caging native shrubs and trees, and when the goats move on to greener pastures, I will plant more native shrubs and forbs to restore a diverse ecosystem. This spring, when the fire marshal inspected our property for wildfire safety, we got a thumbs up! The goats have drastically reduced wildfire fuel on our property, eating not only the blackberries, but also clearing dense brush and low-hanging tree branches. I hope more landowners will begin using controlled grazing as a way to reduce blackberries without herbicides. The fire marshal mentioned that the City of Ashland would like to use goats but is having trouble finding a goat herder able to assume the responsibility (and liability) of bringing goats to the city. I think that it is just a matter of time before we see goats in Ashland and other cities. The Los Altos Hills County Fire District has had good success with goat grazing; residents appreciated that there was no need for chemicals or bulldozers and enjoyed getting to know their new four-legged neighbors. The neighbors welcomed the goats, and a more diverse flora welcomed diverse pollinators! Laura Jessup is a native plant enthusiast and certified Land Steward. References - Girard-Cartier, C. B., & Kleppel, G. S. (2017). Grazing and the coupling of biodiversity in vascular plant and soil microbial communities. Northeastern Naturalist , 24 (8), 67-85. https://doi.org/10.1656/045.024.0sp806 - Ingham, C. (2014). Himalaya Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) response to goat browsing and mowing. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 7( 3), 532-539. doi:10.1614/IPSM-D-13-00065.1 - Khatri, R., Karki, U., Bettis, J., & Karki, Y. (2016). Grazing with goats changed the woodland plant-species composition during summer. Professional Agricultural Workers Journal , 4 (174-2016-2189), 1-11. https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/253127/ - Kleppel, G., Girard, C.B., Caggiano, S., & LaBarge, E. (2011). Invasive plant control by livestock: from targeted eradication to ecosystem restoration. Ecological Restoration 29 (3), 209-211. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/448453 . - Los Altos Hills County Fire District. (n.d.). Goats to the rescue. https://www.lahcfd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/goats-to-rescue-v5.pdf - Mann, Damian. (2019, June 18) Overgrown weeds getting your goat? Medford Mail Tribune. https://mailtribune.com/news/top-stories/medford-council-may-expand-use-of-animals-to -clear-private-property-of-vegetation-invasive-weeds - Moinardeau, C., Mesléard, F., Ramone, H., & Dutoit, T. (2019). Using mechanical clearing and goat grazing for restoring understorey plant diversity of embankments in the Rhône Valley (Southern France). Plant Biosystems-An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology , 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2019.1686080 - Salter, M., Macdonald, E., & Richardson, Z. (n.d.). Prescribed goat grazing in urban settings: a pilot study of the legal framework in nine U.S. cities. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. https://thecela.org/wp-content/uploads/PRESCRIBED-GOAT-GRAZING-IN-URBAN-S ETTINGS.pdf - USDA (2019). Goat targeted grazing: Examples to study dynamics of targeted grazing for unwanted vegetation management using goats. United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension . https://goats.extension.org/goat-targeted-grazing/

by Kristina Lefever for the Tidings June 30, 2020 June is like a flower — after long anticipation the bud finally bursts open into this beautiful blossom that bedazzles our senses. But this year is like no other, with two world-wide crises tearing long-held systems and beliefs to shreds. This year especially, we need to spend time within the beauty of a garden or the natural world, among the plants, insects, birds and other creatures who are continuing on with their existence, unaware of the life-changing events happening on the human scale. Now, in addition to responding to the coronavirus, we are (finally) fighting the systemic virus of racism, part of the very soil of our existence. And because of all the hard work people are doing to make this world a better place for everyone, I have no doubt that next year’s flower of June will be even more spectacular. Backyard and community gardens, parks and greenspaces, trees and creeks — Ashland has a plethora of beauty, including more than 60 pollinator gardens certified by Bee City USA Ashland. This year was to have been BCUA’s fourth annual Pollinator Garden Tour. Rather than visiting in person, this year you can visit virtually. Thirteen gardeners submitted a video for the “2020 Tour.” See the city of Ashland’s Bee City USA website to see them all, www.ashland.or.us/beecity. As chair of Bee City USA Ashland, I offer a very big thank you to the gardeners who took the time and thought to share how they are helping make the world a more beautiful place. Do you have, or know of, a pollinator garden you would like to have certified by BCUA? The nomination form is on the BCUA website. Our annual tour also celebrates National Pollinator Week, so here’s a shout-out of gratitude to the national Bee City USA organization and The Xerces Society. They are helping the country bee-come more pollinator friendly by encouraging cities and campuses to incorporate practices, policies and activities to benefit all of us. Learn more about the program and the work other affiliates are doing in a blog written by Molly Martin, the Bee City USA coordinator, at https://xerces.org/blog/celebrating-a-year-of-enacting-positive-change-bee-city-usa-bee-campus-usa. You will also find the annual reports from Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and Southern Oregon University. For those who don’t have a garden or the place to grow one, there are other opportunities. Right now Ashland Parks and Recreation has a need for volunteers. Not surprisingly, the parks budget — and staff — has been impacted drastically because of the virus. Volunteers are needed more than ever to help ensure Ashland maintains its parks and green spaces. The City of Ashland is a leader in creating and maintaining parks and greenspaces. Before I moved here, a number of concerned citizens helped the city become the first in the valley to end the use of synthetic pesticides on its parklands. Much gratitude to Lori Ainsworth, the city’s first volunteer coordinator, for all of her hard work. We are now very fortunate to have Sulaiman Shelton in that role. I encourage every Ashlander to consider this possibility. It’s a great way to do good, feel good and grow community at the same time. Find the various volunteer options at www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=12978. I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that we need more than just “beauty” in a landscape. Consider the plants, trees and shrubs that also serve pollinators — native bees, honey bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and wasps. Native plants, especially host plants for moths and butterflies (meaning they get eaten), are critical for healthy pollinator populations — and thus birds and other wildlife. Where can you add native beauty? At the Pollination Place on Main Street in Phoenix, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is doing just that. I know there are more pollinators there this June than last. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped make this garden happen and continue to help maintain it and improve it — and to Wanda Borland for helping us capture interesting plant and pollinator life on film. To see how the garden has changed, and just a few of the pollinators and native plants there, see our website at www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/gardens. Or, better yet, visit in person. I hope that during these hopefully-never-to-be-repeated times, you are able to find solace in a garden. Gardening is for people, but also the planet — and pollinators. Be a gardener. Work the soil, and watch the beauty grow for all of us. Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley and Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. She can be reached at pollinatorprojectroguevalley@gmail.com.

by Julia Babb We are pleased to introduce and celebrate the volunteer in our “Pollinteer Spotlight” this month — our dear friend Wanda Borland! We are very grateful to Wanda for sharing her skills, passion and talents with us, especially since she is also busy volunteering with a few other impactful Rogue Valley nonprofits. In fact, it was through her association with these other organizations that she found her way to PPRV, and began producing shows on our local community television as Public Service Announcements and videos made exclusively for us. Wanda is a powerhouse, bringing wide swaths of the community together. In other words, she Pollinates! One of those organizations is the animal advocacy organization, Southern Oregon Animal Rights Society, which airs the monthly radio program on KSKQ, ‘Animals Matter’, produced and hosted by Lin Bernhardt. Wanda heard Kristina being interviewed on the show, and “I was taken with her deep knowledge and passion for all things pollinator. In that particular interview, her focus was on getting the word out about the devastating effect neonicotinoids have on pollinators and the insect population.” ‘Animals Matter’ is also a television program for RVTV, Rogue Valley Community Television.  Wanda continues: “At the time I was collaborating with a friend, Julia Babb, to produce a few ‘Animals Matter’ episodes, who was [is!] volunteering with PPRV, and she suggested we put together a few episodes about the pollinator crisis by interviewing Kristina, and that is what led to us all working together. I believe PPRV's mission is important and I admire Kristina and her team’s tireless dedication to creating a better world for all of us." So, together, we produced two 30-minute programs and three PSAs (short videos) last year. This body of work resulted in ‘Animals Matter’ winning RVTV’s award for best Ecology and Nature show for 2019! You should also know that Wanda has won RVTV's Best Producer award for one year and Best Director for the past three years! Congratulations, Wanda! Keep up the good work! Speaking of work - I had a great time working with Wanda and her great volunteer crew at RVTV. They all put in long hours behind their cameras and screens to put out quality work for the Valley. We appreciate it! But that is not the end of our story! In addition to her other volunteer work, Wanda has created two more videos with us, and is actively working on a third, to document and share the transformations happening in our pollinator gardens at our office in Phoenix. So, we feel very lucky - and honored - that Wanda shares our passion for pollinators, and generously shares her skills as a videographer and producer with us. Wanda’s videos can be found on our Facebook page, and also on our website. Let us - and Wanda! - know what you think! Note: This article was updated to correctly state Wanda's two awards and number of years for each - May 15, 2020.

by Kristina Lefever for the Tidings April 3, 2020 ~ Having a home, no matter the species, is so important — a home you know is always there, fits your size and your lifestyle, and keeps you and your family safe. Safe homes are vitally important for pollinators too, and there are many reasons their homes are disappearing. With decades of pesticide use in gardens, yards, farm fields, forests, roadsides and waterways, compounded by unending urban and rural development with human-made structures, lawns, sports fields, pavement, 24-hour lighting and more, plus invasive species (plants and insects), and a changing climate affecting which plants grow where and when, it’s hard for insects, birds and other mammals to find and keep a safe home. What if in our desire to provide homes, we make it worse? Did you know that mason bees and leaf cutter bees need nests of at least 6 inches in length? Otherwise, the female (mom) will not lay eggs of both genders. It’s hard to continue a species without females. Because not only can the mom control the gender of her offspring, she lays in order by gender. In a 6-inch-long tube, mom will first lay three or four female (fertilized) eggs, followed by two or three male (unfertilized) eggs. If the length is much shorter than 6 inches, she will lay only males. And the boys will not be happy campers when they emerge the following spring. The purpose behind this incredible pattern is two-fold: the males serve as protection — hopefully pests and birds will spare the females after taking out the males at the front end. And the males (laid last, remember), emerge first, so they can be ready for their girlfriends. They will mate, the females will lay her eggs, die, and the eggs will transform into adult bees throughout the year, emerging the following spring to start the cycle all over again. So do us all a favor — when you see those cute little bee houses for sale, check the length. Size does matter. Please advise the store manager why you aren’t purchasing them, and ask that they be returned. Here’s a shout out to Marshalls in Medford. After being informed by our friend Michael that their cute little houses were barely 3 inches deep, and why that mattered, the houses were pulled. Most other bee species, including bumblebees, nest in the ground, often under bushes or in untended areas. Please garden, especially now, but be aware that creating that beautiful vision for your landscape could actually be uprooting the next generation of bees and other pollinators who nest or overwinter in the soil, under rocks and leaves, on and in plant stalks, or on tree branches. Remember that 97% of insects are beneficial, and “good” or “bad,” they are an important food source for other creatures. Here is a small but critical example. Butterflies, also rapidly disappearing, come from caterpillars. Fewer caterpillars mean fewer birds. One clutch of chickadees requires about 9,000 caterpillars to fledge. How many yards do you know with 9,000 caterpillars? Not mine. For more about how native plants support native insects, I highly recommend googling University of Delaware professor Doug Tallamy. I guarantee you will never look at your landscapes the same again. Want to help provide homes for the tiniest among us? It’s easy. Plant native plants, don’t use pesticides (herbicides, insecticides or fungicides), and maintain untended areas that go through their annual cycle without much interference, providing habitat and food for insects and other creatures. The last crop of flowers that aren’t deadheaded become seeds to feed the birds in late winter. (Finches love lettuce and echinacea seed.) Native grasses provide places for bumblebees to nest, and for beetles and spiders to hide (both are great predators). Dry and sunny unmulched bare spots welcome the many species of solitary ground-nesting bees. No worries — most solitary bees don’t even have stingers. More and more people are planting native plants for our native pollinators. A list of local native plant sources we know about can be found at www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/resources. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley and Beyond Toxics have transformed the frontscape at our office in Phoenix from 100% non-native plants to 75% or more native. Tiny plants are growing, and we eagerly await the flowers of coyote mint, Oregon sunshine, phacelia, oceanspray, penstemon, buckwheat and more. Even when the only plants blooming were non-native heathers, we were amazed to discover queens of three species of bumblebees gathering pollen and nectar to take back to their nests for their babies. Safe homes, we hope. Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley and Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. She can be reached at pollinatorprojectroguevalley@gmail.com. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly. https://ashlandtidings.com/lifestyle/pollinator-connection-be-safe-bee-home

by Patrice Hanlon The creative energies of a gardener transforming a piece of land is similar to the artist beginning with a blank canvas. Seeing how each season unfolds with new discoveries is an ongoing joy. Each month I will write about a few of the blooming plants in the garden, the bees associated with the plants, what families they come from and a few ethnobotanical information because I love the stories plants tell us. The pollinator garden is not just for pollinators - As John Muir famously said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” A pollinator garden is a habitat garden. With the first tending of the soil, the healing process for the land begins - soil organisms awaken, insects, butterflies, birds, mammals and amphibians arrive because it is a safe haven to call home. Blooming times and flower shape are key for a successful pollinator garden, which is why you will see mostly native plants in the new demonstration pollinator garden at The Pollination Place. You might ask, “Why native plants” since bees are attracted to many types of flowering plants. Oregon is home to about 500 species of native bees who have evolved with our native flora, meaning the bees are likely to emerge as the plants they love begin to flower. Because native bees are emerging throughout the year, plants in the garden have overlapping flowering times, ensuring that there is always nectar and pollen available. Not every flower is bee-friendly. Certain plant families are best for bees because of their shape, making it easy for the bees to reach pollen or nectar. Some of the top families for bee friendly gardens include: Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Polygonaceae, Rhamnaceae, Fabaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Boraginaceae. Early spring in Oregon begins with two shrubs every garden should have - Manzanita and Ceanothus. The pollinator garden has Manzanita (Arctostapylos densiflora ‘White Lanterns’) and Ceanothus (Ceanothus prostratus). Manzanita is in the Ericaceae family and flowering begins in late winter-to-early spring, when native bees are awakening and hummingbirds need nectar. Its dainty pinkish-white, urn-shaped flowers point downward - an adaptation that protects the pollen from being washed away during rainy times. Because the opening of the flower is so small it is hard to imagine how it is pollinated. Well, our native bees are expert pollinators and are able to release the pollen by grasping the flower and vibrating their indirect flight muscles. Even thought their wings are not moving, they create a vibration, known as sonication , which dislodges the pollen from the flower. Manzanita in Spanish means “little apple”, referring to the fruit that looks like a small apple. The fruit is appealing to a wide variety of animals and birds, including quail. The berries can be steeped in hot water and brewed into a tea. Tinctures are made to help with bladder infections. The genus Ceanothus has about 55 species that come in all shapes and sizes, which is why it is an excellent choice for creating hedgerows or ground covers. It is in the Rhamaceae family. Flowers in this family have small, densely clustered flowers with lots of pollen that bloom in early spring. Bees that like Ceanothus include the bumble bee who are actively seeking food January through October, and Mining bees, ground nesters that emerge in February and usually active until June. Ceanothus’ honey-scented flowers are reminiscent of lilacs, which is why it is often referred to as California lilac. The species growing in the PPRV garden is (Ceanothus prostratus) - prostratus meaning it grows along the ground. Ground covers are important in habitat gardens because they provide places for birds and amphibians to hide from predators, as well as great cover for bumble bee nests! Ceanothus has many ethnobotanical uses such as using the flowers for soap. When mixed with water, the flowers create a soapy detergent. The long, flexible stems of some species are used in basket-making. Next time we will visit native Phacelia’s and Berberis, Oregon’s State flower.