Source: Ashley Osborne, 4-H youth development specialist

Kentucky 4-H youth development agents know pollinators are an invaluable resource and critical part of a sustainable food supply, so we are making extra efforts to educate our youth about the importance of pollinators and ways they can provide better environments for them.

Pollinators, which include bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, beetles and flies, pollinate 75 percent of our food supply. But many pollinators are facing a bleak existence, as their populations decline. In the past decade, researchers estimate that pollinator populations have dropped between 30 and 60 percent, depending upon the pollinator. Habitat loss and fragmentation caused by urban and suburban development are one of the main causes for the drop in numbers.

4-H youth development agents across Kentucky are educating young people about bees and other pollinators so they are aware of the decline and can become pollinator advocates. We are doing this in a variety of ways starting with offering basic educational information at 4-H clubs. We also have local 4-H groups that have taken conservation a step further and are successfully operating bee hives and installing pollinator friendly gardens. Through our 4-H Bee Ambassador Program, counties are recognized for their efforts in pollinator education and conservation. (AGENTS: If your county is part of the Bee Ambassador Program, you may want to talk about your specific local efforts to support pollinators here.)

For information about ways to support pollinators in your community, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Cooperative Extension Service.

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

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