Ontario is home to thousands of pollinator species, including over 400 kinds of bees. Other pollinators include flies, butterflies, ants, beetles, wasps, moths, and hummingbirds. Pollination is necessary for the development of seeds or fruit for many flowering plants, so these services play a huge role in our environment and economy.

Huron County is predominantly an agricultural area, so pollinators are very important for our future. One-third of global food production is a result of bee pollination, and bees across Huron County pollinate many crops including vegetable plants, fruit trees, alfalfa, and canola.

Unfortunately, both domestic and wild pollinators–most noticeably bees and butterflies–have recently undergone steep declines driven by factors including climate change, disease, pesticide use, and habitat loss. The Rusty-patched bumblebee was one of the most common species in Southern Ontario but has all but disappeared. Monarch butterflies have undergone a 90% decline from 20 years ago. These striking insects begin their lives as caterpillars feeding only on milkweed, but transition into butterflies that pollinate many wildflowers. From Goderich, they undergo an incredible journey to Mexico of over 3,200 km! Honeybees are actually not native to North America, but declines in commercial pollinators are also worrisome as the crops they pollinate contribute over $500 million per year to Ontario’s economy.