Linda Churchill, chief gardener at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, was concerned about what she was beginning to notice around the city as spring turned into winter.
Or rather, what she did not understand.
There were no aphids on the roses in the orchard. There are no bugs in the windshield. There are no moths roaming around at night.
“People say,“ Oh, it’s great. There are no bugs around. ‘And I said,’ Are you kidding? ‘ ”Said Churchill.
He added: “Science fiction is about the end of the world.” “People have been saying for years that we will all go when the insects are gone, and this is what happened this spring. It was really scary. ”
Churchill said she saw insects re-emerge as winter rains ravaged the region. But her fears brought home the need for a new program in which she and her garden are now involved.
This weekend, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is distributing 11,550 native plants throughout the city to residents and businesses as part of the Santa Fe Pollution Program. The purpose of the project is to address the city’s losses by introducing new climate-tolerant pockets.
Pollists such as bees, butterflies, and moths have been declining worldwide in recent decades. Climate change pollution, environmental degradation, and the misuse of pesticides are the three main culprits, according to Caleline Hassie, a Southwest Pollutter Conservationist at Zerses Association.
With the participation of local residents and organizations, Hasse hopes the pilot program will raise awareness of the issue and help people move closer to land and gardens in a more beneficial way than pollen.
“I know that it is paralyzed by all the environmental problems in the world and climate change,” he said. This is just one small thing we can all do as a community to cope with climate change and to adapt to not only pollen but also birds and wildlife. . ”
The Xerces Society purchased the plants for the program from the Santa Ana nursery plant, which is owned and operated by Santa Ana ue and is native to the Southwest.
With the help of Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners, 350 kits will be provided to 230 residents and 20 organizations selected to participate in the program.
The kit will be distributed free of charge to participants at the Santa Fe County Fair over the weekend, promising to plant plants in gardens, gardens and public places.
There are two types of kits available. One is a low water kit that includes plants such as Hammer Night primrose, meadows and black daisies. The Low to Medium Water Kit contains species such as Rocky Mountain Pen, White Primer Clover and Blanket Flower.
Hassan says each kit has plants that grow at different times of the year, allowing the small habitat to support pollen from spring to autumn.
All the kits are assigned to participants this year, but Hasse said she plans to have an annual distribution of the plant.
Santa Fe’s Garden is one of the organizations that will receive a kit this weekend. Others include the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, the Railroad Guard and the Randall Davy Oodon Center.
Churchill plants, he said, are not common in most Santa Fe gardens, where fertilizers are often mixed with fertilizer to create a water-rich soil.
“Indigenous people want to start with what they want,” she said. “They don’t need fertile land.”
Addition of pesticides is not the same.
Pam Wolf is a master gardener at Santa Fe Extension, a New York State University Cooperative Extension Service trained in horticulture and sharing her knowledge with the community.
He said that when pollen is used, pesticides do more harm than good.
“Often these broad-spectrum pesticides eventually make things worse and develop resistance to repetitive use,” he said. in the meantime.”
There are many resources available to help gardeners guide the process of planting native plants.
Xerces Society has posted webinars and literature, and major gardeners have an online form to answer any questions related to indoor gardening.
Santa Fe’s Garden is also hosting a special day on Sept. 19 – Community Day on Museum Hill – a local day for local plants and pollen – a free entry to hear what Hassan and other experts have to say.
Hassan came to Santa Fe in May 2020 to establish a presence in the Southwest for the Zerses Association. In terms of being friendly with pollen, she found that the community was ahead of the curve.
In June, Santa Fe was confirmed as a bee co-founder in the USA. Initiated by the Xerces Society, the city promises to provide healthy habitats full of pesticides and plants.
In the Pollinator Trail program, Hassan hopes to keep the momentum going.
Santa Fe is really dreaming of working together because there are so many people who really care and care. ”
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