Jennings County has been a leader in re-establishing a healthy environment for pollinators throughout southern Indiana, but now local officials are encouraging residents to do their part to help recognize the county’s efforts.
Andy Ertel, Jennings County Soil and Water Conservation District director, is encouraging anyone who has planted a pollinator patch in the county — whether big or small — to registerit on a national registration site. Go online at pollinator.org, click on “our programs” and then click on “MPGC map” to register.
“It really literally only takes a minute,” Ertel said.
The registration will record the efforts Jennings County has made to address a crisis shortage of pollinators.
In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies said there was a serious shortage nationally of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies humming birds and a few insects. Pollinators are necessary for the growth of food groups for humans and animals.
The Jennings County Soil and Water Conservation District heeded the national call for action to help build healthy habitats for bees and other pollinators. Ertel and assistant Kelly Kent formed a group dedicated to help organize the planting of gardens and patches designed to attract and nurture pollinators across the county.
In less than three years, the Jennings County Share Some Space Committee has assisted in the establishment of over 300 documented pollinated gardens across the county, and also given away over 1,200 packets of seeds to help with the planting of smaller gardens, Ertel said.
The soil and water district and the committee have received state and national awards for their efforts in establishing a healthy environment locally for pollinators, and for helping other counties with pollinator projects.
However, Jennings County currently shows fewer pollinator patches registered than there are in surrounding counties on the national pollinator garden map.
“I have recorded 300 pollinator patches on our own county map, but I would not presume to send names and addresses onto anyone else,” Ertel said.
He added that he understands the need to know at a national level the status of pollinator efforts.
“It’s extremely important to know how many pollinator patches there are in order to know whether things are getting better or worse for the pollinators,” Ertel said.
He estimated there’s an additional 500 pollinator patches that have not been added to the county pollinator map.
“We have had over 1,200 people come in and pick-up seeds to grow plants to help pollinators thrive, so I am saying that at least 500 of those followed through and planted a plot or a container,” Ertel said.
