Letters to the Editor
Take care of nature too
Dear Editor,
In this time of reflection, it can be good to think of what nature goes through every day and how it affects humans directly.
Pollinators such as butterflies, native bees, honeybees, and hundreds of other insects and birds are responsible for pollinating one third of all the food that we humans eat. Without them spreading pollen from plant to plant, our vegetables and fruits cannot grow. Yet we persist in clearing land, creating agricultural monocultures, using pesticides, and wiping out native plants that we think are not pretty. Pollinators must have natural habitats to survive and they have decreased dramatically because of what we humans do.
It is easy to plant wildflowers or flowering perennial plants for the nectar that insects need. They go well with garden vegetables. Everyone can do this. Plant, and they will come. Just having a few pots of flowering plants on a deck or patio helps. And every bit helps. No pesticides and use organic soil, naturally.
Friedman’s is open (stand in line to enter as of now) and Fox Farm is a good healthy brand of soil, amendments, and fertilizers. Pass by the ones with chemicals.
If you are interested in a pollinator plant list, check on the computer for Xerces Society, resources, pollinator conservation, click on California on the map, then Pollinator Plants: California under Plant Lists. It is a great list with photos of the plants. Happy planting!
Bonnie Brown
Sonoma
