WHAT'S THE BUZZ? Well, it's not exactly as sweet as honey, but it is real: Pollinators really do need our support. Drew Kaiser, a local beekeeper and co-owner of Kaiserson Bee Co., says this year's spring and summer is "the worst" he's seen in terms of colony loss.

It can feel like a rare treat to spot a butterfly, bee, or other eye-catching insect collecting pollen or sipping nectar from a nearby flower. Sadly, though, those sightings are becoming more and more rare. A mounting national concern for the protection of pollinators has grown increasingly hard to ignore.

A recent ABC News article warns that honey bee colonies could face a loss of 60-70% in 2025. Factors like climate change, chemical exposure, and habitat loss have led to dramatic population shrinkage in pollinator species across the board — posing long-term risks for food production and the climate.

In the Chippewa Valley, local volunteers and pollinator experts are banding together to preserve these species through education and native planting.

Megan Giefer-Schimmel, a naturalist at Beaver Creek Reserve (S1 County Hwy K, Fall Creek), said this season is her seventh summer working in the reserve’s Butterfly House, where visitors are invited to witness the butterfly life cycle up close.

Giefer-Schimmel said through her recording of butterfly species and populations, she has observed a sharp decline in numbers during her time at Beaver Creek.

“A couple of years ago, we really started seeing a change,” she said. “And now this year, our monarch populations are under half of what they were before.”

"Pollinator sanctuaries" are finding some space on public land in the city of Eau Claire.

Giefer-Schimmel noted the urgency to protect pollinators, and the long-term consequences that could result from future population loss. She said the losses will affect the environment severely, as well as humans and animals alike — most notably resulting in a lack of fresh food and potentially more genetically-modified produce.

“Unfortunately, we need pollinators to survive,” Giefer-Schimmel said. “Without them we can’t have food, and a lot of the natural spaces we know and love could end up not being there anymore.”

Naturalists like Giefer-Schimmel work with volunteers at the Beaver Creek Reserve to re-nativize the property and encourage pollination. Similar projects are also underway in local urban communities.

Members of the Chippewa Valley Biodiversity Partnership (CVBP) have established prairies and “pollinator sanctuaries” on public land throughout the city of Eau Claire.

Jane Mohler, CVBP co-founder and chair, said the goal of these “native plant havens” is both to revitalize native habitats and educate the public on the significance of pollinators.

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HONEY BEES TEND TO BE MUCH MORE HEAVILY MANAGED THAN OTHER SPECIES, SO IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THEM, THAT'S A PRETTY CLEAR SIGN THAT OUR NATIVE BEES ARE STRUGGLING TOO.

DREW KAISER

BEEKEEPER & CO-OWNER OF KAISERSON BEE CO.

Just opposite of Phoenix Park in Eau Claire, the Forest Street pollinator haven (534 Forest St.) is a notable example that features fruit trees, berry bushes, and native flowers.

Master gardener Mari Jackson, who has played an instrumental role in the establishment of this “haven,” said the strategic, sometimes experimental planting has attracted a wide variety of pollinators.

Mohler remarked on the additional, education-geared intentions that helped the garden take form. Roughly a decade ago, she and other volunteers worked with now-city councilman Andrew Werthmann to establish the area.

“We intentionally put it near the farmer’s market, so people can see where their food comes from,” Mohler said.

According to Mohler, the CVBP is currently developing signage for the Forest Street haven to help passersby better understand the site.

Volunteer groups and several local churches such as Unity of Eau Claire (1808 Folsom St., Eau Claire) have also implemented their own sanctuaries. Jackson, who is a member of the church, said she took the lead in a revitalization project to reduce hillside erosion issues on the flood-prone property.

“After we got the funding, we dug the swale and built a berm,” Jackson said. “I planted primarily natives there because their long root capacity will hold water better.”

"We need pollinators to survive. Without them we can't have food, and a lot of natural spaces we know and love could end up not being there anymore."

MEGAN GIEFER-SCHIMMEL

NATURALIST, BEAVER CREEK RESERVE

In addition to these volunteer efforts, the City of Eau Claire has placed more emphasis in recent years on planting prairie strips and native gardens on public land as an alternative to lawn spaces.

These spaces are utilized by Drew Kaiser — a longtime beekeeper and co-owner of Kaiserson Bee Co. — to feed the bee hives he has situated in spots all over the city.

He said he feels the strain of the nationwide pollinator losses in his day-to-day work.

“This is the worst spring to summer I’ve experienced in terms of colony loss,” Kaiser said. He noted that while the honey bees he works with aren’t native to Wisconsin, they can often act as an indicator of broader issues.

“I think that honey bees are more of the canary in the coal mine to the native bee species,” Kaiser said. “Honey bees tend to be much more heavily managed than other species, so if there’s a problem with them, that’s a pretty clear sign that our native bees are struggling too.”

Giefer-Schimmel said the best action citizens can take to protect pollinators is to volunteer for a local program like Beaver Creek, or a group like CVBP to learn more about pollination and native planting.

“Educating yourself is probably the number one thing that you can do to help all the species,” Giefer-Schimmel said. “Because once you know something and once you learn a little bit about it, you're going to care a lot about that subject.”

To learn more or to volunteer with a local pollinator garden, visit beavercreekreserve.org or cvbiodiversitypartnership.org.