{"id":3278,"date":"2013-01-29T13:53:14","date_gmt":"2013-01-29T18:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildlifepreservation.ca\/?page_id=3278"},"modified":"2016-01-14T10:03:55","modified_gmt":"2016-01-14T15:03:55","slug":"native-pollinators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildlifepreservation.ca\/fr\/native-pollinators\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Pollinator Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

The importance of \u00a0pollinators has become increasingly recognised, as have the alarming declines observed in some species. With over 140,000 species in Canada, over one fifth of these are insects, many of which play a vital role in pollination.\u00a0 Butterflies, flies, moths, beetles and, most importantly bees, pollinate native plants and crops – globally, pollination by bumblebees alone is estimated at be worth several billion dollars per year!<\/p>\n

However, their conservation has largely been overlooked due to their small size and difficulties with identification.\u00a0 Several pollinating butterfly and bee species have recently been listed as species-at-risk in Canada. Wildlife Preservation Canada’s at-risk pollinator program aims to save these important insects from extinction.\u00a0 Several initiatives are being implemented in collaboration with numerous partners in Canada, the US and overseas.

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Ontario's Native Pollinators<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"bombusaffinis\"<\/a> In 2012, Project leader Sheila Colla<\/a> began a recovery program for the previously common rusty-patched bumblebee<\/a>. Locating populations of this increasingly rare species is a priority for its recovery, as well as hands-on intervention and conservation management. \u00a0In addition, working with\u00a0Karner Blue Ontario<\/a>\u00a0, a collaborative effort of numerous partners, we\u00a0are working to bring the karner blue butterfly <\/a>back to Canada.\u00a0The karner blue butterfly was extirpated from its Canadian range but still persists in the US.\u00a0 This charismatic species relies on lupines in oak savannah habitats.<\/p>\n

In collaboration with York University,\u00a0we are\u00a0looking at habitat quality for native bumble bees across southern Ontario.\u00a0 Parasite levels, habitat quality, pesticide use and bumble bee species diversity will be quantified to determine under what conditions our native bumble bees thrive.<\/p>\n

The Ontario\u00a0pollinator team also\u00a0started work in 2014 to establish captive breeding colonies of yellow-banded bumble bees (B. terricola<\/em>).\u00a0 The offspring will be used to increase the population of yellow-banded bumble bees across its native range, and can be used to\u00a0investigate the impact of several threats on this and related species, such as the rusty-patched bumble bee<\/a>.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>

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British Columbia and Taylor's Checkerspot Butterfly<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"Checkerspot-B\"<\/a> Led by Peter Karsten<\/a>,\u00a0his team at the Taylor Checkerspot Captive Rearing Facility on Denman\u00a0Island initiated development of a captive rearing program to propagate this endangered butterfly. The goal is to augment wild populations in danger of extirpation and reintroduction into sites inhabited by Taylor’s checkerspot <\/a>at this time.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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Quebec and Yellow Banded Bumblebee<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"yellow<\/a> Yann Gobeil of FaunENord <\/a>and his team also worked to establish a captive breeding colony of yellow banded bumblebees (B.terricola<\/em>) over several generations in order to validate that wild B. terricola<\/em> queens can be successfully reared over the course of several generations and that they can produce large and viable offspring. It is hoped offspring will increase the population across its native range.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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Bumblebee Watch<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
In collaboration with Dr. Jeremy Kerr<\/a> at the University of Ottawa, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation<\/a>, BeeSpotter<\/a> and the Montreal Insec\"bumblebee\"tarium<\/a>, we are proud to have launched\u00a0bumblebeewatch.org<\/a> in 2014. This website allows citizen scientists to help us locate populations of declining species and track invasive species. Help us by joining in our bumblebee conservation efforts today: all you need is a camera and an internet connection to upload your best bumble bee photos to the website!<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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IUCN Bumblebee Specialist Group<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
The IUCN Bumblebee Specialist Group<\/a> was created in 2011 with the aim of\"\" assessing the status of bumblebees globally. Wildlife Preservation Canada’s\u00a0Project Leader Sheila Colla will coordinate the ranking of the North American species which will help future conservation efforts to support species most in decline.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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What can you do? Plant a garden! <\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"BB<\/a><\/p>\n