The Pollinator Conservancy has had a busy year. Flitting between community events and speaking before local municipalities, founder and Valley resident Lisa McKenzie is on a mission to raise critical awareness and education about our most vulnerable creatures: the pollinators.
A vast collection of species, pollinators consist of bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats and others that efficiently move pollen, encourage fertilization and promote plant production. While quietly buzzing about, these species make a big impact as they currently support the growth of over 90% of the world’s wild plant species and over 75% of the world’s food crop, McKenzie shared. Thanks to pollinators, people can enjoy coffee and cacao, fresh fruit, fields of wildflowers and lush gardens. But their numbers are rapidly declining, causing significant concern.
“We really need the pollinators for humans to stay around,” said McKenzie. “We need them to pollinate our plants and food supply. I think it was Albert Einstein who said that if we lose our pollinators, humans have two to four years left.”
According to the Xerces Society, an international nonprofit dedicated to conserving invertebrates and their habitats, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is considered stable in North America despite colony loss. However, a recent Xerces Society study found that North America has over 3,600 native bee species and nearly 28% are considered threatened while over 40% of invertebrate pollinators face extinction in the coming decades. Habitat loss and the application of insecticide and herbicide are linked to declining populations.
“Something that affects the whole community is [when] someone sprays and the bees are exposed to it; they may carry it back to their hive and wipe out their whole colony,” said McKenzie.
A hive of activists
Driven to make a difference, McKenzie joined a collaborative effort spearheaded by four Carbondale Community School (CCS) students and horticulturist Lisa DiNardo to propose a Pollinator Protection Resolution (PPR) to the Town of Carbondale. The group was successful. On Oct. 10, 2023, the Town declared June as Pollinator Month and committed to valuing clean land, water and air for pollinators by integrating harmless weed mitigation practices and planting native gardens.
“It was really meaningful,” DiNardo recently shared with The Sopris Sun. “When we clear land that indigenous food supply — nectar, pollen — for the insects is gone. To have this come together was foundational. It was so beautiful to watch the transformation and how we all learned from this process … McKenzie was part of the team and it was so fun to watch her enthusiasm.”
With momentum building, McKenzie, who holds a master’s in education, saw that education was the key to activism. Shortly after Carbondale’s PPR adoption, she started a Pollinator’s Club at Basalt Elementary School. The club attracted 50 students who met twice a month to study pollinators, connect with guest speakers and sow seeds.
She then expanded to the Basalt Middle School to help students cultivate native plants and seasonal crops. Inspired by the CCS advocates, McKenzie and her students approached the Town of Basalt to propose another proclamation that was immediately approved in May 2024, making Carbondale and Basalt the first Western Slope towns to take action toward protecting pollinators.
“The change comes from the community,” said DiNardo. “My observation is that the voice comes from the citizens who gather and rally for what’s important to them.”
The Pollinator Conservancy was established in 2024 and joins a substantial community of local pollinator advocacy organizations — and, like every bee in the colony, each individual matters. McKenzie aims to protect pollinators by using education to build a global network of citizens, municipalities, educators and experts.
She recently approached the Town of Glenwood Springs to join the effort. As of press time, the City intends to schedule a work session to discuss a PPR adoption. In the meantime, McKenzie said the Pollinator Conservancy can point citizens where to sign a general pledge to dissolve the use of chemicals and plant native gardens, access educational resources and learn how to start a Pollinator’s Club. She hopes this work will extend beyond the Valley and eventually land in every town around the country — a powerful intention sparked by the actions of some dedicated youth advocates.
“I’m grateful for people in this area who want to protect pollinators and learn as much as possible,” said McKenzie. “It’s so important because it has to do with humanity and our lives. We don’t want to wipe out the human population. One way to sustain life in a loving, kind and gentle way is to protect the pollinators.”
Head over to www.pollinatorconservancy.net to learn more.