1. A Newsletter for the Member s of Mass AudubonApril–June 2016
The Buzz About
Pollinators
and how to attract them
Winning Photos
Our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors contest
Kestrels Flying High
Celebrating nesting successes
Spring Peeper
Tiny frog, big voice

2. Experiencethewonderofpollinatorsatourwildlife
sanctuaries.Here’sasampleofwhatweoffer;formore,
visitmassaudubon.org/pollinators.
Gardens
Manyofourwildlifesanctuarieswithnaturecenters
havespecialgardensdesignedtoenticebirds,
pollinators,andotherwildlife.FelixNeckinEdgartown,
forinstance,hasthree,includingabutterflygarden.
AllensPondinDartmouthandWestportfeaturesa
gardenthatisacertifiedMonarchWatch.orgwaystation.
DrumlinFarminLincolnhasseveralgardens,including
apollinator-filledgardenattheAudubonShop.
APlaceforBees
Severalofourwildlifesanctuarieshave
specialhomesforbees.Viewhoneybee
hivesonexhibitatLongPasturein
BarnstableandBlueHillsTrailside
MuseuminMilton—canyou
spottheelusivequeen?Broad
MeadowBrookinWorcesterhas
anativebeenestingbox,orbee
hotel,installednearthevisitor
center.IpswichRiverinTopsfield
hassolitarybeeandwaspnestboxes
builtbyBoyScoutMattLebelandhis
troopaspartofhisEagleScoutproject.
CreatingNewHabitat
We’realwaysworkingonaddingplacesforpollinators.
Forexample,SouthShoreSanctuariesreceivedagrant
toturnanoldfieldatNorthRiverinMarshfieldinto
idealnativepollinatorhabitat.Theprojectissponsored
bytheUSDepartmentofAgriculture’sNaturalResources
ConservationService.TheMuseumofAmericanBird
ArtinCantonisconvertingamowedlawnintoanative
plantmeadow,andthepollinatorecologyhomeschool
classistakingtheleadindesigning,planting,and
conductingecologicalexperiments.
NativePlantSales
OnMay7,HabitatEducationCenterinBelmont
offersanHerbSale,withnativewildflowersaswellas
vegetablesandherbs.Purchasepollinator-attracting
plantsatMooseHillinSharon’sNativePlantSaleon
June4and5,orvisitNorthRiverinMarshfieldfora
NativePlantSale&OpenHouseonJune5.
Continuedonnextpage...
Pollinatorsat
MassAudubon
RUBY-THROATED
HUMMINGBIRD
Thisbirdneedsagreat
dealoffoodtokeep
energized,soitvisits
flowersthatprovidealotof
nectar,suchasthecardinal
flower.Pollenstickstothe
feathersaroundthebird’sbill
andfaceandiscarriedtothe
nextflower.
TheBUZZon
Pollinators
Pictureyourselfstandinginameadowburstingwithwildflowers,
seeingthefirstcherryblossomsafteralongwinter,orenjoying
aripe,juicyblueberry.Thesedelightsandmanymorewouldn’texist
withoutagroupofanimalscalledpollinators.
Pollinatorsarecreaturesthathelpplantsreproducebyspreading
apowderymaterialcalledpollenamongflowersofthesamespecies.
Animals,primarilybees,pollinateamajorityoffruitsandvegetables
(nongraincrops)usedinagriculture.Pollinatorsdon’tjusthelpplants;
theyrelyontherewardsplantsprovide,suchasenergy-richnectarand
protein-richpollen,tosurviveandreproduce.
BySeanKent
MeetthePollinators
TherearemanydifferenttypesofpollinatorsinMassachusetts,
fromnativebeestobeetlestohummingbirds.
BEESANDWASPS
BesidesEuropean
honeybees,thereare
morethan365bee
speciesdocumentedin
Massachusetts.Adultbees
eatnectar;theyfeedtheir
youngamixofpollen
andnectar.Waspsvisit
flowerstoconsumeenergy-rich
nectarandsometimespollen.As
predators,waspsspendmostoftheir
timelookingforinsectstofeedtheiryoungwhile
foragingatflowers.
FLIES
Someflies
suchasflower
fliesand
beefliesare
important
pollinators.
Theyvisitflowers
toconsumepollen
andnectar;inthe
process,stickypollen
becomesattachedtotheirbodies.
Manyfliesmimicwaspsandbeesintheirshape
andcoloration,partlysothatpredatorswill
avoidthem.
BUTTERFLIESANDMOTHS
Butterfliesandmothslayeggson
ornearthevegetationtheyeatas
caterpillars;thesefoodplants
areknownas“host
plants.”Asadults,they
consumenectar
fromflowersand
sugarfromsap
andfruit.Most
butterfliesand
mothspollinate
flowersthatproduce
lotsofnectar,suchas
nativemilkweed
andcolumbine.
BEETLES
Thefossilrecord
suggeststhat
beetleswerethe
firstpollinators
offlowering
plants.Adult
beetlesfeedon
pollenandthe
floweritself.Pollen
becomestrappedon
theirbodiesandspreads
betweenflowers.
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3. Eachyear,weareinaweoftheimagesentered.Andeachyear,we
embarkonthechallengingtasktoselecttheimagesthatbestrepresent
thebeautyanddiversityofnatureinMassachusetts.Thejudgingprocess
for2015’scontestwasnoeasytask,butwe’rethrilledsharesomeofthe
winnersoflastyear’scontest.Seeallofthewinningimagesandfindout
whenthenextcontestbeginsatmassaudubon.org/picturethis.
PhotoContestWinners
GRAND
PRIZE
WINNERManyspeciesofpollinatorsareexperiencingdramatic
declines.Forexample,populationsofthreebumblebee
speciesintheeasternUnitedStateshavedeclinedbyover
90percentinthepast30years.Populationsofnativebees
andotherpollinatorsarethreatenedbyclimatechange,
pesticideexposure,habitatdegradationandagricultural
intensification,decliningpopulationsofnativeflowering
plants,andintroducedpathogens.
Fortunately,therearewaystohelp.Smallchangescan
makeabigdifference.Trymowinglessofyourlawnand
convertingtheresttoagarden,orraiseyourmowertoa
highersettingtoletvioletsandothersmallflowersremain.
Minimizetheuseofpesticidesandherbicides,whichcankill
pollinatorsandtheplantstheyrelyon.Buyorbuildabee
hotel,astructureforbeestonestin;manygardencenters
arestartingtocarrythem.
Onemajorwaytomakeanimpact—andbeautifyan
outdoorspace—istoplantanativepollinatorgarden.
Nativeplantsarewelladaptedtoourlocalconditions
andsupportmanypollinators;somespeciesrelyonthem
exclusively.Also,someplants,liketomatoesandblueberries,
won’treleasetheirpollenunlesstheyexperiencethewing
vibrationsofparticularbees.
Evensmalloutdoorspacescanprovidequalityhabitat.A
pollinatorgardencanrangefromadecorativeplanterwith
nativeflowersonyourporchorsmallflowerbedstolarger
vegetablegardensinterspersedwithflowers.
Whenyouaredecidinghowtocreateanativeplant
garden,keepinmindthatpollinatorshavethesamebasic
needstothrive:plantsthatofferfoodsuchaspollenor
nectar,placestolayeggs(butterfliesandotherinsects)or
nest(bees),andanareathatisfreeofpesticides.
HelpPollinatorsThrive
TipsforCreatingaNativePlantGarden
1.Planonthetypeofgarden—doyouwanttoconverta
lawnintoagarden,createaflowerbed,ormakeacontainergarden?
2.Chooseasetofnativeplantsthatwillhavesomeflowersinbloominthe
spring,summer,andfall(seeourlistofsuggestionsataboveright).
3.Chooseadiversityofnativeplantsthatattractdifferenttypesofpollinators
suchashummingbirds,bees,andbutterflies.Plantsoffermoreto
pollinatorsthanpollenandnectar;thecaterpillarsofbutterfliesandmoths,
forexample,needleafyfoodtoeat.
4.Prepareyoursiteforplanting.Dependingonyourproject,thiscould
includeputtingdownsoil,removingsod,etc.Ifyou’reusingseeds,start
seedsinsideorsowseedsinloosesoilaccordingtotherequirementsfor
eachkindofplant.
SixNativePlantstoGrow
forPollinators
Goldenrods(Solidagospecies)
Attractbeesandotherinsects;extremely
importantfallplantsforpollen
Bloomsinlatesummertolatefall
(dependingonspecies)
Smoothswamp-milkweed
(Asclepiasincarnata)
Attractsbumblebees,butterflies,and
otherinsects,andisahostplantforthe
monarchbutterfly
Bloomsinsummerandearlyfall
Wildlupine(Lupinusperennis)
Attractsbeesandbutterflies
Bloomsinspringtoearlysummer
Bird’sfootviolet(Violapedata)
Attractsbeesandbutterflies
Bloomsinspringtoearlysummer
Wildgeranium(Geraniummaculatum)
Attractsbeesandisexcellentfor
attractingbumblebees—especially
springqueens
Bloomsinspringtoearlysummer
Wildcolumbine(Aquilegiacanadensis)
Attractshummingbirdsandbutterflies
Bloomsinspring
ARTEXHIBIT
BabyBirds:AnArtist
LooksintotheNest
Watercolorsby
JulieZickefoose
April30-September18
MuseumofAmericanBirdArt
massaudubon.org/maba
Clockwisefromtopleft:Short-tailedweasel©SteveFlint•Smoothgreensnake
©PatrickRandall•Plymouthgentian©JamesDuffy•Spider©BrettMelican
•Redsquirrel©DaveyWalters•MountGreylock©RoniChastain
•Virginiarail©EvanLipton
SeanKentisEducationCoordinatorattheMuseumofAmericanBirdArtatMassAudubon.
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