by Julia Babb 2019 was an amazing year! Lots of hard work, but full of growth and changes that helped Pollinator Project Rogue Valley become stronger and more impactful on so many levels! We had a blast connecting with so many enthusiastic people both inside (classes, presentations, and more) and outside (garden work parties, community events, etc.). Thank you, everyone! Some highlights from the year: February: Kristina Lefever traveled to Corvallis to attend the first-ever PNW Pollinator Conference. Accompanying her was Jarrett Taylor, one of the two students at SOU working on the Rogue Buzzway map for their capstone project. Jarrett displayed the map he and Seth Campbell created of the Buzzway to date. With the assistance of 6 or so Mighty Volunteers, we packed up the old office, cleaned the old place AND the new place, moved all our “stuff”, arranged and rearranged the new space, got acquainted with our wonderful neighbors at Essential 3, and then flopped down into our chairs. Whew! We love our comfortable, practical homebase in the Beyond Toxics office we lovingly call “the Pollination Place”. March: Thanks to Wanda Borland, producer at Rogue Valley Community Access TV (RVTV), we were featured twice on RVTV’s show, “Animals Matter”, with host Julia Babb. With Wanda’s guidance, we also produced two PSAs, one about neonicotinoids, and one about the Rogue Buzzway project. If you haven’t seen these, watch them here. We were thrilled to be selected as one of the first community organizations for the Medford Food Co-op’s innovative “Positive Change” program! We had fun tabling at the Co-op, and are very honored to have received such amazing financial support from our community. These funds have been so helpful to support our Non Toxic Southern Oregon work. April: We celebrated the progress of our Rogue Buzzway mapping project at the Talent Community Center. It was a lovely gathering of people around the Valley, with talks by Gerlinda Smith, Dolly Warden, Free Walker, and others. Jarrett Taylor and Seth Campbell spoke about their experiences mapping the Buzzway for their capstone project. We are grateful for their work! Kristina traveled to Salem to help educate our state legislators about the dangers of chlorpyrifos and neonicotinoids. Together with Beyond Toxics, we began working on our Non Toxics Roadsides initiative, thanks to Laura Bee and other concerned community members. After requesting spray records for county roads, we helped write a 20-page report about the herbicides (over 1,500 gallons) used along county roads in Jackson County, and spoke at a number of the County Commissioners public meetings. We so appreciate all the community members who came forward to speak their concerns. May: The Ashland Food Co-op awarded us with a Community Grant. We are using these funds to install native, pollinator plants in our frontscape and in the side garden. Again, we so appreciate being selected for this grant! June: We helped convene a 6-hour long symposia with other 'pollinator people' to talk about the various aspects of pollinators at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Pacific Division Conference, held at Southern Oregon University. September: working with Beyond Toxics we helped to host Chip Osborne of Osborne Organics and Jay Feldman of Beyond Pesticides for a day-long workshop about how to create and manage organic parks and greenspaces. Attendees included elected officials, city leaders, and park staff from 5 cities, 2 schools, and Jackson County! We even watched a demonstration of a weed-steamer in action by City of Talent staff! Throughout 2019, we also: hosted 9 different classes with amazing instructors from the Rogue Valley invited to make 9 presentations to the community tabled at 6 large community events hosted by others, from Grants Pass to Ashland and last but not least, Kristina was interviewed 4 times, including Jefferson Public Radio and KSKQ If YOU would like to get involved on beehalf of our Pollineighbors this year, there is plenty to do! We are limited only by our imaginations! Let us know how you would like to help make 2020 an even better year!

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings December 31, 2019 ~ I was in Los Angeles for a few days recently -- how different it is from where we live! Different is an understatement, right? Granted, my wandering consisted of a 15 minute Uber ride for a few (organic) items for my hotel refrigerator, but I saw enough to know that few places — and far between — provide support for native pollinators and birds in that huge metropolis. Maybe all the gardens are up with honey bee hives on rooftops? I was quite happy to leave the City of Angels behind and return to our beautiful valley, with people who care about preserving our open spaces before they are gone. Because that’s the conundrum, is it not? People move to a place because of how it is ... and it ends up how it was. (I hope Ashland leaders and residents keep this in mind as we create the future for our beautiful town.) Sadly, LA is no exception to what is happening all over this country. You’ve heard of the “insect apocalypse?” Both species and individuals of almost all insects have declined drastically over the past several decades as their habitat disappears. Bees, butterflies, moths and dung beetles are especially vulnerable, which also is impacting birds and other wildlife. The good news is that many native bee species do well within urban environments and with non-native plants. OSU in Corvallis is conducting a number of studies about the species of bees found in urban backyards, as well as identifying favorite flowering plant species. Yes to California poppies! The best news is that many Southern Oregonians are focusing on improving their small gardens and large acreages with native trees, shrubs, and perennial flowering plants that support native bees and other pollinator species, some of which we may not even recognize as pollinators. Because, as the flower shape or color of a flower or leaf is “improved,” something else sometimes changes for the worse — maybe less nectar or pollen, or the leaf is no longer edible, or the flower no longer offers an invitation to visit. Did you know that scientists have discovered how bees, butterflies, and moths view flowers? Their color spectrum is not like ours at all. I will be replacing a Diablo ninebark, a very hybridized native with, yes, beautiful burgundy-purple leaves. Ninebark provides much for our native pollinators - long-lasting flowers and it serves as a host plant for many butterflies and moths. But darker foliage contains more anthocyanins, a pigment that makes the leaf distasteful to feeding caterpillars. Which is great if you want a perfect plant — and no butterflies! What will I plant instead? Perhaps a Pacific ninebark! Or a coffeeberry! (Thankfully, this east coast study found some hybridizations, such as reduction in plant height, have little effect on pollinator preferences.) In addition to homeowners, landowners, and businesses getting involved in creating pollinator friendly landscapes, ODOT is doing its part. Many thanks to our own Sen. Merkley for co-sponsoring the Monarch and Pollinator Highway (MPH) Act of 2019 to establish a federal grant program for state departments of transportation and Native American tribes to carry out pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way. (We assume a reduction in herbicide use is part of the plan?) Listen to this podcast from OSU’s PolliNation to learn what is happening in other parts of Oregon — looking forward to a bee-autification of our stretch of I-5! Can the Rogue Valley benefit pollinators with more pollinator plantings while reducing herbicide use on all our roadways? We appreciate the conversations we are having with our County Commissioners and Jackson County Roads about this very topic, and are pleased that we (Non Toxic Southern Oregon) received a copy of their Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management plan, and that an updated Owner Maintained Agreement will soon be available for people who live along county roads and do not wish to have their road frontage treated with herbicides. I am thankful that our little corner of the world is working to increase the supply of native plants - thank you to the Rogue Native Plant Partnership, The Understory Initiative, Shooting Star Nursery, Plant Oregon, Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds, Jackson County Master Gardeners, and local Garden Clubs! Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is excited to be helping, by planting a dry, native pollinator garden in front of our office in Phoenix. If you have (native) plants to donate and/or time to contribute to this project, please let us know. Gratitude to the Ashland Food Co-op for our grant for soil amendments and plants, and to Kencairn Landscape for helping us create a landscape plan! So as you plan your garden for the new year, why not give a gift to the pollinators — and everyone — with a native pollinator garden? Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley and Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. She may be reached at pollinatorprojectroguevalley@gmail.com. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly. https://ashlandtidings.com/lifestyle/ashland-pollinator-connection-bee-native

by Julia Babb In observation of the United Nation’s International Volunteer Day (Thursday, December 5th), Pollinator Project Rogue Valley salutes all of our talented and generous “Pollinteers” for their time, dedication, and skills. We would not be able to keep up with our numerous pollinator endeavors were it not for their efforts! This month, we want to heap kudos on Hilary McDonald, who volunteered steadily with PPRV before she (sadly for us) moved out of the Valley. Many of the "The Pollinator Times" newsletters you've read this past year were compiled by Hilary. And she wrote our first “Volunteer of the Month” article. Though we are sad she is no longer working with us, we wanted to tell you what a rock star she is and what she is up to now. Hilary was introduced to Kristina Lefever by Lauren Kemple [another Pollinteer!] at a work party to make signs for the 2018 Jacksonville Christmas parade, to bring to light the alarming use of pesticides in “our beloved Doc Griffin Park in Jacksonville”. She talked with Kristina at the work party, expressing interest in helping out with the Pollinator Project. “Kristina invited me to tea a couple of times, and that led to me working on the newsletter from December 2018 through October 2019, when we moved to Bend.” “I was inspired and awed by my experience with PPRV. I saw grassroots ideas come to fruition and results happen. I watched my friend Lauren go from concerned mother to someone meeting with community leaders, writing articles in the Jacksonville Review, and speaking before the City Council about the pesticides being used in Jacksonville's parks." “I was inspired to take action and join in to make my community a reflection of my values. I made friends, became informed about gardening, pollinators, and local happenings, and even found myself writing comments on Oregon Senate and House Bills. I am so thankful for this experience which will stay with me the rest of my life!” And she’s still “pollinating”! Within a week of starting her new job at Central Oregon Community College this past September, Hilary was invited to join the sustainability committee on campus, and is now working on the College’s Sustainability Committee newsletter. She says “I am excited to continue the work and learn about the sustainability community here in Central Oregon.” Thank you, Hilary, for your valuable time and energy, and your good work for us, the pollinators, and your community, and for bee-ing part of an effort to make change happen!

By Julia Babb for Pollinator Project Rogue Valley We hear a good deal about bees, butterflies and hummingbirds as pollinators. But I have also heard about bats being pollinators, so I wondered if any of our Oregon bats were nectar eaters and could be considered “Pollineighbors”. An hour on the internet finally yielded an excellent list of 15 bats common (but endangered) in Oregon. They are all insect eaters, though--not nectar eating pollinators. Huh! Our bats couldn’t care less about nectar! Or flowers...or fruit…hmmmm. But that doesn’t mean that our dear Oregon bats aren’t beneficial for our gardens and yards. These small but mighty little mammals [the only mammal capable of True Flight--take that “flying” squirrels! Ha!] eat tons of pests--mosquitos, beetles, flies--so we can grow our lovely flowers and vegetables, and enjoy being out in our yards. Their droppings, aka ‘bat guano’, are rich with nutrients for the soil, too. Here’s the thing, though. Bats like to hang out in warm, dark places. Since they are so small, they tend to not retain body heat easily, so they roost with anywhere from a few to hundreds of their relatives. In the wild, roosting sites are hollow trees, caves and cliffs, but in our neighborhoods, all too commonly, bats roost in the warm attics of our cozy homes. There of course, they are more protected from predators, too. (Unless they somehow get into our living rooms, and we ourselves go after them with tennis rackets. Oh dear...!) There is a simple solution, though--bat houses! By providing cozy habitat for these small neighbors, we can politely evict them from our attics and eaves, keep the pest population at bay, and get a free supply of guano fertilizer in the bargain! Not to mention the added benefit of giving Oregon bats a fighting chance for survival, since habitat loss is a leading cause of their population declines. Bat Conservation International recommends that “All bat houses should be mounted at least 10 feet above ground, and 12 to 20 feet is better. Choose a sunny location on the East or South facing side of your house.” [...or on the trunk of a tall tree in your yard.] “Bat houses work best with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (if only partial day sun is available, morning sun is preferable)”. I would only add that after installation, it’s best not to bother the bats during the daytime. They need their beauty rest... “BCI” also has plans for building your own bat house on its website, but hey, PPRV carries a supply of ready-made bat houses, hand-built by Tim Short! So why not drop by the office in Phoenix and pick one up for your bat buddies! (Please call ahead to make sure we are there when you want to come by - 458-214-0508.) And hurry, it’s almost time to hibernate! [If you are still curious about which bats do pollinate, here’s an excellent article on the National Wildlife Federation’s website.]

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings October 1, 2019 ~ As a pollinator person, I don’t usually get excited about lawns. And city parks, schoolyards, and public green spaces make me a little nervous, because I think about the toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that are probably being used in these places where people congregate, pets romp, and children play. How many people dream of the day when every park, schoolyard, and green space on publicly owned property in the Rogue Valley is no longer treated with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides? Think how that would improve the health of our community! Instead of trucking in bags and plastic containers of herbicides made from petroleum and toxic chemicals simply to kill weeds and synthetic fertilizers that feed only the grass and harm the beneficial soil life that can nurture the grass, we can be using natural and readily available ingredients to grow a healthy ecosystem both below and above the lawn. This benefits pollinators, too, since weed killers such as glyphosate harm honey bees, as well as many beneficial species, including aquatic invertebrates, birds and beneficial insects. Furthermore, organically managed grassy areas cool the planet while sequestering carbon in the living soils and provide beautiful and non-toxic places for the community to enjoy. This dream of a non-toxic Southern Oregon can and will be a reality. Because of the work of Lisa Arkin, executive director of Beyond Toxics, with support from Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, the landcare staff of five cities, two schools, one golf course, and one county in Southern Oregon now know how to make this happen! Chip Osborne of Osborne Organics recently led a free, daylong workshop with staff from the cities of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford and Jacksonville; Southern Oregon University; Phoenix-Talent School District and Jackson County Parks at the Talent Community Center. We all learned so much about how to grow and maintain lush and beautiful, weed-free green spaces in such an obvious and easy way, all while reducing irrigation. Rather than applying something to kill weeds, we should apply easily available, low-cost materials to grow healthy soil that will grow green grass for all to enjoy! The training here in Jackson County followed a similar day with Chip and landcare staff from cities and schools in the Willamette Valley, all made possible by Beyond Toxics! Much gratitude to Osborne and especially Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, who participated in the training and is providing funding for Osborne’s work with cities and schools across the country. And, we are thrilled that the City of Talent signed on to a three-year program with Osborne Organics and Beyond Pesticides to transition their parks and greenspaces to a completely organic landcare protocol. Osborne also is working with the cities of Eugene and Springfield, as well as Lane County; four additional Oregon cities will be selected in 2020. Are you asking — Will this training for municipalities be repeated? You bet! I encourage other cities, schools, and golf courses to reach out to me or Beyond Toxics as we begin to plan for 2020. On a related topic, did you know that glyphosate and other highly hazardous pesticides are sprayed multiple times each year along Jackson County’s 600 miles of county roads? We are talking with our County Commissioners about this, because, again, there are better ways to manage roadside weeds. Other municipalities https://bit.ly/2mlehfS have already made the decision to transition away from these very toxic pesticides that negatively impact water quality, pollinator habitat, farms and private lands, birds, and of course, aquatic life. Lane County, for instance, has been using only 3 herbicides for years, and provides information online about what and where they do apply these chemicals https://bit.ly/2n9QOPf. Why not Jackson County? If you would like to share your concerns, please visit Non Toxic Southern Oregon https://bit.ly/2n0QCBZ to sign on to tell our Commissioners it is time to find a better way to manage our roadsides. And, as the seasons change, remember to leave the leaves, the seedheads, and the untidiness in your pollinator garden until spring. Pollinator gardens are mini-ecosystems, and even during the fall and winter continue providing for pollinators, beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife — food in many forms, warmth, and shelter. And of course, the plants decay and make the soil richer for next year’s garden. Read here https://bit.ly/2yAkVQY and here https://bit.ly/2n9Kl6T why we need to “let our gardens go” in the fall and winter. As the Xerces Society says so beautifully: “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.” May your pollinator garden bee lovely for many this Fall. https://ashlandtidings.com/lifestyle/bee-green-bee-good — Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley and Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. She may be reached at pollinatorprojectroguevalley@gmail.com. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly.

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings July 30, 2019 ~ There’s been a lot of talk lately about the hemp fields that are taking over Southern Oregon. With almost 13,000 acres planted in hemp in Jackson and Josephine Counties alone, people are noticing. Not only the number of acres — but the plastic! (some organic vegetable growers also use plastic). I appreciate the concerns expressed by our Jackson County Extension office (https://bit.ly/2YzMc5M) and the opportunities for conversation offered by the Rogue Valley Food Network System regarding this new mono-crop and the challenges it brings regarding land and water use and, yes, plastic. I’d like to add another concern — there isn’t anything else other than hemp in these fields. Remember “fence row to fence row?” It’s back again. For a fascinating review of how this Nixon-era policy caused the economic crisis of the ’80s, read this article from The Grist. (https://bit.ly/2GCZUud) How are these acres supporting pollinating insects that are so important for your survival and mine? Hemp is a wind-pollinated crop, and is not usually allowed to flower, so it offers little in terms of sustenance for bees and butterflies. Native/wild bees, honey bees and hoverflies are the primary pollinators of our food crops, and yes, we still grow food in our Valley! What would our Valley look like without the native/wild bees, butterflies, beetles, hummingbirds, and wasps that pollinate our native trees and bushes? Not only does hemp not provide nutrition for pollinators, little else is growing in many of these fields. Consider the habitat (trees, shrubs, ground nests, native plants, weeds, etc.) that disappeared when these fields were planted. There are better ways to grow. For instance, the family farm OM Extracts grows hemp among other crops in a polyculture system that supports a biodiversity of plants, insects and other wildlife. The companion plants growing alongside the hemp plants deter the pest insects while attracting pollinators and predatory insects. The Bee Better Certified program recently created by The Xerces Society and Oregon Tilth requires a minimum of 5% of land to be set aside for pollinators. I think the minimum should be 10%! Pollinator habitat includes hedgerows, in-field strips of blooming cover crops, trees, and wildflower areas. If you are a grower (of any crop), a retailer, or a consumer, find out more at https://bit.ly/2KgW0bo. (Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) has grants available to growers interested in supporting pollinators.) Please support local farmers — of any crop — who are looking out for the land and the pollinators! Why not ask them about their pollinator-friendly practices? I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the studies that tell us insects and insect species are declining at a terrifying rate, especially bees, butterflies, and dung beetle. Not surprisingly, the four main reasons are agriculture/development, pesticides, climate change, and invasives. But you don’t have to be a scientist to notice the reduced number of butterflies this summer, not to mention monarchs. And it’s not just insects to worry about — globally, native plants are disappearing faster than any other species! And when a native plant species disappears, so too do the pollinators associated with that plant. Please incorporate native plants into your pollinator garden/landscape — remember that many butterfly and moth caterpillars only eat certain plants! Speaking of natives, Pollinator Project of Rogue Valley is thrilled to be a recipient of a grant from Ashland Food Co-op to create a pollinator-friendly landscape and garden at our office in Phoenix! We will be planting native species in the frontscape that do not require irrigation. Including native poppies, which provide such an important pollen (protein) source for native bees. Stay tuned for more information about work parties. If you are interested in helping, please let me know! Good news! Several western bumblebees were found on Mount Ashland! Once very common in this area, westerns have been seen only rarely in the past 5 years or so - there have been several years where not one was found during official bumblebee surveys. This month, one was located during a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services-led Bumble Bee Blitz, and another during a PNW Bumblebee Atlas https://bit.ly/315SqYw survey conducted by the Xerxes Society. I was happy to be present when Rich Hatfield of Xerces netted a lovely western female! Did you enjoy Bee City USA Ashland’s third annual Pollinator Garden Tour? Held on June 29 and 30, it was a real success! Over 175 people purchased a tour booklet and visited the 15 gardens on the tour. Thank you to Ashland Chamber for their support, the 15 gardeners, and the 7 businesses who participated! Live on a county road? Unless you are on their No Spray list, Jackson County Roads is probably spraying herbicides like glyphosate along your road frontage. (See its website https://bit.ly/2YsMmb3). Stay tuned for how you can get involved. Finally, please consider the information shared by bee conservation researcher Lynn Dicks during her keynote at the fourth International Pollinator Conference. Recognizing “The Importance of People in Pollinator Conservation”, her advice to farmers, people, and governments are outlined here. (https://bit.ly/2K0dngM) Bottom line: Plant a (pesticide-free) landscape — Everywhere! Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly. https://ashlandtidings.com/lifestyle/hemp-offers-little-to-pollinators

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings May 2, 2019 ~ As I was thinking about what to write, I realized that so much has happened since my previous column in December. So here’s a recap of some of the things that will benefit pollinators (and people) — or not — both locally and globally. On my list at least, the Good outnumbers the Not-So-Good. Not-So-Good Big thanks to the many, many people who responded to our requests to ask our state legislators to pass a bill that would finally make neonicotinoids a Restricted Use Pesticide. But, the legislation failed yet again. My hope is that here in the Valley, we can all agree to not sell or purchase products that contain neonicotinoids. A report released in January summarized the findings of 73 studies researching the decline of insects around the globe. The primary factors are: development / loss of habitat, “pollution from pesticides,” climate change, and invasive species. The report advises that we are on track to lose another 40% of insect species during the next 10 years, after having lost 40% over the last 10. Bees and butterflies are among the hardest hit. Information continues to come out citing the harm that glyphosate (an herbicide) and neonicotinoids (a systemic class of insecticides) have on insects and other creatures, including humans. Testing of beer and wine sold in the U.S. confirmed the presence of glyphosate/Roundup in all but one product. Perhaps the U.S. will follow Germany’s lead, where, after testing in 2016 showed glyphosate in all beers tested, use was limited and a 2017 follow-up test showed marked improvement. Friends of the Earth released a comprehensive and scary report after testing non-organic foods sold in grocery stores on the West Coast for three pesticides: glyphosate, neonicotinioids, and organophosphates. The majority of the foods tested positive. Good A big thank you to the Medford Food Co-op and all the shoppers who showed such amazing support for Pollinator Project Rogue Valley in March! Through the Co-op’s new Positive Change program (what a great concept!), PPRV received over $2,000 in donations from people simply rounding up at checkout. Wow! These funds will support our Non Toxic Rogue Valley project, a collaboration with Beyond Toxics, to help municipalities transition away from toxic pesticides. Bee City USA Ashland’s 2019 Pollinator Garden Tour is June 29 and 30. Stay tuned for more info! We are always looking for more gardens to certify! The City of Medford voted to become a Bee City USA! Join me in congratulating Medford, which will be the fifth city in the Valley to bee so designated. There are now more than 80 Bee City USAs in the country! Thanks to Beyond Toxics, the City of Jacksonville held a study session with experts in the field (pun intended) of organic landcare management April 8. The Council voted to proceed with developing an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) plan that would replace synthetic pesticides and fertilizers with practices and protocols to greatly decrease water usage and also decrease costs. We invite other cities in the Rogue Valley to consider this option too. Did you know that herbicides, including glyphosate, are being sprayed throughout the county by Jackson County Roads? (that part is not-so-good) We need landowners willing and able to maintain their road frontage to get on the no-spray list — call Frank Barratta at 541-774-8184 for details. Los Angeles County decided to stop using Roundup until more is known about its potential health and environmental effects. As of this writing, SB 2619 is still in play, which will ban the use of chlorpyrifos from use in conventional agriculture. Already banned for indoor use, chlorpyrifos was almost banned by an order from EPA, but reinstated by the current administration. If you have friends in other parts of Oregon, their calls and emails to their legislators will help insure this Oregon bill passes. A study from the UK shows that planting pollinator gardens in the city is very important for increasing bee and butterfly populations. A large population of rare silver digger bees, native to sand dunes around Presido, CA, was found after invasive plants were removed and replaced with native plants. Let’s keep in mind that more flowers, more wild bees, and more species of bees, will be found in areas that were burned by moderate and high-severity fires compared to low-severity fires. It is finally spring! If you see a large bumble bee flying back and forth, low to the ground, she is a queen looking for a nest. An old rodent hole or depression under bushes or rocks will do just fine, especially in a less-than-tidy part of your yard (yes, it’s ok to bee a lazy gardener!). Bumbles are not aggressive, and are very important pollinators of crops and native plants. Enjoy the Spring, and Bee Happy doing what you can to make a difference. Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly.

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings December 30, 2018 I am continuing my theme from November (“Bee Engaged”) because, yes, together, we can make change happen. Hopefully you agree. In my last column I expressed concerns about Section 9101 in the proposed Farm Bill, which would have removed current and future abilities of municipal governments to restrict pesticide use on their properties. Thanks to your calls and letters — including one from the city of Talent — and thousands from all over the country, the language was removed. Talent deserves another accolade: Because of the determination and perseverance of many residents, the City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 3 to implement its first Integrated Pest Management policy, one that states synthetic pesticides will be used only as a last resort for maintaining city and park property. Congratulations, Talent! I am proud to say that this change happened in part because of the Non Toxic Rogue Valley initiative formed by Beyond Toxics and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley. I have no doubt other cities in the Rogue Valley will be making such a change in the near future. Another bellwether is the 12-cottage development to be built on Laurel Street in Ashland by KDA Homes. I was very pleased to have been asked to provide information about deer-resistant pollinator plants for the project, and even more pleased to know there will be a no-synthetic pesticides policy, even during construction. They plan to apply for a Bee City USA Ashland Pollinator Garden designation and will be on the Rogue Buzzway. I posed a few questions to Tom Madera of Madera Design about the project, called The Garden Cottages: Why are you choosing this business model? TM: We understand the profound impact that pollinators have and their critical link in our lives and want to encourage a model of developments that is focused on the very real fact that without pollinators, we will cease to exist. Is this a movement that is happening, or are you on the cutting edge? TM: We believe this is a movement that is happening, although we’re the only group we’re aware of willing to step up in this way. How many communities have you developed that have either or both of these components (native pollinator plants, no synthetic pesticides)? TM: This is our first, but as our awareness has grown we are sure it won’t be our last. How will/do you maintain the landscaping in these developments? TM: It will be written into the CC&Rs that the site will be maintained by organic and mechanical means. It will also be a requirement that there be no synthetic chemicals used in the common areas and/or on the individual home sites. We have not yet seen statistics that reflect an increase in market value for such properties, but no doubt there will be a growing demand for such developments. Sherri Morgan, of Morning Gardens Landscape Design, recently told me that she is now working only with clients who want to focus on native plants. When I asked her why, she said, “Because we need to support our native insects and the ecosystem they create — they provide food for birds and other wildlife. Insect populations have decreased drastically everywhere (did you read “The Insect Apocalypse in Here”?) and it is our responsibility as gardeners to support the ecosystem we are part of — and planting native plants is one easy way to do that.” What is a native? I like this definition from Natural Resources Conservation Service (Connecticut): “A plant that is a part of the balance of nature that has developed over hundreds or thousands of years in a particular region or ecosystem.” The flowers of exotic/non-native plants, as beautiful as they may be, don’t provide the nutrition our native bees need, and caterpillars of many butterflies species can’t eat their leaves. Which translates to trouble for our birds: “In the United States, 432 species — more than one-third of birds — are insectivorous and, thus, could be harmed by declines in food availability and at risk of local extinction in urban and suburban areas [with too few native plants],” according to the University of Delaware Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. Here is a very local resource about native plants: “Plants of the Rogue Valley,” from North Mountain Park Nature Center. And please visit Pollinator Project Rogue Valley’s Resources for more local sources and information. Thankfully, Sherri and KDA Homes are not the only ones focusing on native plants and eschewing pesticides. But it is clear we need to grow the available supply of native plants and seeds, and we need more people creating pesticide-free pollinator landscapes for their homes and businesses. Here’s my holiday wish: May all beings enjoy the best pollinator garden ever next year! Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Bee City USA Ashland, and a board member of Beyond Toxics. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly. http://dailytidings.com/news/top-stories/peace-in-politics-bee-the-change

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings November 1, 2018 ~ ​ I love the “Engage Ashland” idea recently put forward by the city. Yes, Ashland (and other places) are so much improved when residents engage and do things. So, this column is a riff on that idea, offering several more ways to “get engaged.” First, I’d like to thank Nina Egert for her investigations and writings about the use of pesticides for mosquitoes, weeds, and more, in several of her recent Act Locally columns in the Tidings. The topic of pesticides is definitely engaging a lot of folks, especially after several recent news stories. Did you hear about the study that confirmed that glyphosate, the primary ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, does harm honey bees? Proponents of Roundup have long assured us that bees and other creatures cannot be harmed by Roundup because non-plant species do not have the same biology as plants, because the “pathway” in plants that glyphosate targets (the shikimate pathway) is missing. And that is almost true. But, as the team led by Dr. Nancy Moran discovered, beneficial microbes living in honey bee stomachs and intestines contain the shikamate pathway! So when a bee ingests or is exposed to field levels of Roundup, its immune system becomes compromised, making it much more susceptible to pathogens — and pesticides, too. So even if a bee is not killed outright, its lifespan and progeny could be affected. And it’s not just bees. Hopefully by now you’ve heard that, even following appeal, the landmark verdict against Bayer (Monsanto) was upheld, confirming that their flagship product, Roundup, was indeed a cause of Mr. Johnson’s cancer. And there are almost 9,000 similar cases on the docket against the chemical company. Let’s bee engaged — let’s ask: Why is Roundup still on store shelves, and why are people still using it and other products that contain glyphosate? I recently engaged with both Ashland’s City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission, and also KSKQ’s Honey Culture radio, on another issue that everyone needs to know about: Section 9101 in the House version of the proposed Farm Bill. If this provision remains in the final Farm Bill, it will: 1. Preempt cities and counties from adopting pesticide regulations on their own property; and 2. Reverse the policies of cities (like Ashland) that already have such a policy in place! Here’s the language that needs to be removed: “Section 24(a) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act ... is amended by striking ‘A State may’ and inserting ‘A State, but not a political subdivision of a State, may.’” Want to get engaged on this important issue? Let’s tell our federal representatives that taking away local control on an issue critical to the health of people, especially children, pollinators, fish, birds, wildlife, and more, is not acceptable! Non Toxic Neighborhoods is doing great work around Section 9101 and has a letter that everyone can use. Visit their website, download the letter, and edit it to add your name. Old-fashioned letters in stamped envelopes, mailed to the four addressees and the three cc’s, are preferred for this important campaign. And please invite friends and family in other areas of the country to engage. Non Toxic Neighborhoods (NTN) and their engagement with dozens of cities rethinking landscape maintenance practices was the inspiration behind Non Toxic Rogue Valley (NTRV), an initiative of Beyond Toxics and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley. In fact, the city of Talent, following a study session with NTN and NTRV and engaged city leaders and citizens, is currently working on an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) policy that will relegate the use of pesticides (and chemical fertilizers!) on city and park property to emergency situations only! However, unless the amendment above is removed from the final Farm Bill, Talent will not be able to implement their IPM. (Thankfully, Ashland, was way ahead of the curve and ended the use of toxic synthetic pesticides about 8 years ago, except in the north median on Highway 99, the golf course, and ball field warning tracks. Again, this policy could be rescinded if the Farm Bill’s Section 9101 passes.) I’d like to thank Lin Bernhardt of KSKQ’s Animal Matters for interviewing me on her show recently to talk about pollinators. It was a fun engagement, and led to a second interview with Cindy Harper of Talent to share our concerns about pets’ exposures to pesticides, which will air soon. Stay tuned! Finally, a fun and educational engagement is Jackson County Master Gardener Association’s Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens symposium on Saturday, Nov. 3, at the RCC/SOU Higher Education Center in Medford (for details, go to bit.ly/2RxB2r5). It’s a really great opportunity to learn about any and all topics related to gardening. Hope to see you there! —Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Bee City USA Ashland and the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly. http://dailytidings.com/news/environment/pollinator-connection-ways-you-can-bee-engaged?fbclid=IwAR11EpJOJKdYW6UE-2mqRGIX1urzSnYwrvj2l03U5yWzcL9j1wb7FwJAifk

By Kristina Lefever for the Tidings ​ Even with the seemingly unending issues that we are dealing with — especially smoke and fire — we are fortunate to live where we do. Not only is this an amazing part of the country, Ashland is home to a large population of passionate people working on issues to make our city, county and world a better place. I’d like to give a “hat tip” to the passionate and dedicated Ashland residents who made Bee City USA Ashland’s second annual Pollinator Garden Tour, on Sunday, July 15, a success! Sixteen gardens were on the tour this year, all different and all bee-autiful. Thank you to those gardeners who worked so hard to bee ready, and then graciously shared your gardens and knowledge with many visitors for several hours that morning. And of course, thank you to Ashland Parks and Rec and the Bee City USA Ashland team for making it all possible! Our hope is that people found both inspiration and ideas to grow their own pollinator landscapes. As rural lands around cities become cultivated or developed, and as urban infill continues, fewer and fewer “natural” wild areas remain. We are fortunate to live so close to protected lands (thanks to the hard work of many passionate and dedicated people) where pollinators flourish — native plants support native pollinators best. But it is also critical to have pollinator-friendly landscapes within the human-built environment — urban and suburban landscapes provide much needed food and habitat, as explained in a recent article, “What Can Bees Teach Us about Building Better Urban Ecosystems?” What can Ashland learn from this? Here’s an excerpt: “Toronto, whose green, park-filled metro area is home to more than 300 species of bees, ranks among North America’s ‘greenest’ cities for its sustainability measures. The city council adopted a ‘Pollinator Protection Strategy’ that includes creating more pollinator habitat on public lands, sharing lists of recommended plantings for home gardens, and linking up green spaces so pollinators can more easily travel between them. It’s a strategy geared specifically to native bees (emphasis added), and it builds on years of policy that aim to green the city while recognizing that already booming Toronto will only get more dense. Since 2006, the city has mandated that certain new buildings install green roofs. The Pollinator Protection Strategy would mandate that those roof plantings take pollinators into account.” (Did you know that Toronto is the first Bee City Canada affiliate?) Another takeaway from that article is the concept of connectivity. Pollinator habitats in relatively close proximity give bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, moths and birds “corridors” in which to move and find sustenance and shelter and ensure species diversity and healthy populations. Trees, shrubs and other plants that bloom throughout the year, as well as water, mud and bare areas, are all important for these insects that feed us and so many of the critters with whom we share the planet. Looking for ideas for pollinator plants? Check out these lists at https://www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/resources. Connectivity is what the Rogue Buzzway is all about, an innovative project to map the location of pollinator habitats throughout the valley. Perhaps you read Tony Boom’s lovely article about the project last month? Thanks to the awesome students in the GIS class at SOU, we now have updated maps to share! But we need more data! Does your pollinator landscape qualify? Please help us locate our valley’s pollinator corridors. Check out the most up-to-date versions of the Rogue Buzzway map at www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/rogue-buzzway-project. Finally, let’s talk about safe landscapes — for pollinators and people alike. Thankfully, the city of Ashland’s progressive pesticide policy means our public spaces are safe for pollinators, people and pets because they are not sprayed with pesticides (except the golf course and the ball field warning tracks). Pesticides include herbicides and fungicides, as well as insecticides. And, thankfully, many people in Ashland don’t use pesticides. But many private properties are treated with synthetic chemicals. Consider that a popular weed and feed lawn product contains 2,4 D, and pesticide residues can remain on the lawn for a week! Not only are these chemicals toxic to pollinators, there is growing evidence that even small amounts of exposure leads to long-term harm, especially for small bodies like children, pets and birds. Yes, even from glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Roundup. Looking for safe landscape products? Check out these lists from Beyond Pesticides, and ask your favorite gardening store to carry some of them: https://beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/bp-37.3-fa17-Fertilizers.pdf. https://beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/bp-37.1-OrgLandscapeMngmt.pdf. Remember, if your landscape is safe for pollinators, it’s safe for people. Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Bee City USA Ashland and the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly.

By Kristina Lefever for theTidings Writing a quarterly column in this paper is like being a kid in a candy store. Since I can only be in the store for a certain amount of time every so often, I have to think about what it is I want to enjoy. And because I am always reading, talking, writing, dreaming about (and sometimes watching) pollinators, there is the dilemma about what to choose. This month marks my first-year anniversary writing The Pollinator Connection. So I’m going to celebrate by sharing some of the awesome pollinator happenings happening in our Valley (apologies to those I missed). First, I’d like to thank Joel Heller, Ashland Parks and Recreation Commissioner, for his Park Views column of March 22. He clearly states that synthetic pesticides are bad news for pollinators and people, and encourages all residents and businesses to consider Ashland’s goal of using only organic pesticides and fertilizers. With mounting evidence that so many of the products in use for decades not only cause cancer in humans and dogs, but also kill pollinators, fish, birds and more, safer products are becoming available. Here in Ashland, Backyard Organics (the old Ray’s), offers a large selection of soil amendments for growing healthy plants and landscapes, plus a variety of products to deal with pests without toxic side effects for people or pollinators. Please save the date for Bee City USA Ashland’s second Pollinator Garden Tour! Scheduled for Sunday, June 15, the tour will be your chance to again visit beautiful gardens that also support pollinators with flowering plants that bloom all year long, provide areas for nesting and, of course, use no pesticides. More info coming soon! Here’s a big shout out to Talent’s Bee City USA team and the Talent Garden Club for their brand new pollinator garden in front of City Hall! This new garden sports a beautiful array of pollinator plants, many of them native, and several bee hotels. BCU Talent is also reviving their first pollinator garden at the roundabout. I can’t wait to visit Talent this Spring! In Phoenix, the Phoenix Bee City USA team is creating a bee-autiful 180-foot-long mural on the McDonald’s side of the Exit 24 bridge. With flowers, insects, birds and more, painted by people from all over the world, the mural is more than 50 percent complete. Everyone is invited to a pollinator celebration on May 12 — stay tuned for details! Congrats to the four Bee City USAs in the Valley — the three above, plus Bee City USA Gold Hill — for designating 78 (and counting) Bee City USA approved pollinator gardens in both public and private spaces. Do you have a pollinator garden, or want to get involved in your BCU program? Contact your city to find out more. Medford, although not (yet) a Bee City USA, has been exponentially expanding the number of their pollinator-friendly plantings with the help of many organizations, agencies and volunteers. The most recent planting is the butterfly garden with 300 plants just installed at Medford Railroad Park. Sounds fabulous! Here’s a big shout-out to two organizations working hard planting milkweed and other native (pollinator) plants in both large and small areas all around southern Oregon — Lomakatsi Restoration and Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates. In fact, SOMA just awarded the 40-acre Sampson Creek Preserve, just south of Ashland, with the first-ever Regional Scale Monarch Waystation sign. And SOMA continues to add native plants to the existing pollinator plantings at Coyote Nature Trails in Medford and Hanley Farm in Central Point. Sounds like perfect destinations for a field trip! Wouldn’t it bee great if there was a map of all of the pollinator plantings in the Valley? A bee’s eye view, so to speak. Which brings us to the Buzzway, something I’ve written about previously. Let’s get these plantings (and the art, too!) on the Buzzway map, a project Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is working on with the GIS class at SOU. Find out more about the Buzzway project at PollinatorProjectRogueValley.org. And, finally — the Jackson County Master Gardener Association’s annual Spring Garden Fair, with 150 exhibitors and free mini-classes, is a don’t-miss opportunity to buy and learn about all the plants you need for your gardens and landscapes. It’s coming up May 5 and 6 at the Expo in Central Point — hope to see you there! Many things happening in the world these days are beyond our control. But we can all plant a plant or help someone tend their garden, and choose not to use synthetic pesticides. Because saving the pollinators is also saving us. — Kristina Lefever is a member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Bee City USA Ashland, and the Jackson County Master Gardener Association. The Pollinator Connection appears quarterly. http://dailytidings.com/archive/saving-pollinators-is-also-saving-us

By Joel Alan Heller / Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission Posted Mar 21, 2018 Ashland Daily Tidings I have been reading a number of news stories lately about cities that have changed their policies and practices regarding use of synthetic pesticides on city properties. Many scientific studies have been published about the dangers posed by synthetic pesticides, and city officials are beginning to realize that using these products puts residents, workers, wildlife, pollinators, pets and children at risk. Study after study shows that many of the products used across the country for decades are now in our drinking water and soil. I am proud to live in Ashland where, because of the work of a group of committed and concerned citizens, in 2010, Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission implemented a policy of using manual weeding and organic herbicides in our land management practices in Ashland’s parks to ensure that residents, tourists, pets, children and wildlife are not exposed to dangerous and toxic chemicals. With a few exceptions, the city of Ashland’s properties are not treated with synthetic pesticides. (A “pesticide” is any substance that kills pests, including herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, miticides and more.) And I am proud that Ashland is one of the 62 Bee City USAs in the country, which means that a city’s policies and practices will take into account impacts to pollinators. Synthetic pesticides, whether for weeds or insects or fungus, have been shown to cause harm to pollinators and other beneficial insects in both the short term and long term. Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission maintains our city’s parks and public lands, and is committed to keeping the public safe, while keeping our city beautiful. While we continue to explore ways to take care of our lands more organically and sustainably, obviously that has come at a significant cost in terms of manpower and maintenance. We continue to explore how to do this in ways that protect both our parks and their visitors in a sustainable and fiscally responsible manner. There continues to be more and more research about how neonicotinoids are impacting the health of bees. Papers have been published about bees’ ability to navigate, and a lower bee sperm count are caused by exposure to these neonicotinoid properties. More details on this research and other information on sustainability can be found at pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org. The Rogue Valley Pollinator Project also lists which nurseries are committed to providing plants from suppliers that don’t use neonicotinoids. I sincerely hope that citizens and homeowners will join the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission in looking at alternatives that don’t damage our children, pollinators and wildlife. I encourage everyone to consider the information presented here. Although there may be instances in which synthetic pesticides are needed, most landscape maintenance, especially for homeowners, normally requires little in the way of toxic pesticides. Because we are learning that the use of organic soil amendments actually results in healthier grass, trees and other plants, and therefore fewer problems from pests and weeds, I would like to encourage consideration of using organic soil amendments. Synthetic fertilizers actually contribute to the need for synthetic pesticides. There has been interesting research recently showing that many synthetic pesticides and neonicotinoids actually don’t wash off but are found later in pollen and flowers, long after the pesticide was applied. Unfortunately, much of the fertilizers and pesticides often are found later in our waterways, impacting both fish and bird life. Joel Alan Heller is an Ashland Parks and Recreation commissioner. Park Views appears monthly.