Every year, WSWP spearheads a conservation project that promotes responsible stewardship in the great state of Texas. For this year’s project, we will be collaborating with the Xerces Society, the largest invertebrate conservation organization in the world and home to the largest pollinator conservation team of any nonprofit.

Pollinators are the unsung and often unseen heroes of our global ecosystem. They are essential to the production of many of the nutrient rich fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils we eat. Bees aren’t the only pollinators; bats, birds, butterflies all do their part but bees are particularly heroic, pollinating roughly 70% of the plants that provide food for the planet. Alarmingly, bees are experiencing a steep decline and this poses a serious threat to global food production. In Texas, we are losing 40 percent of our honey bee population every year.

The reasons for the sudden and rapid decline in the bee population are complex - pesticides, drought, habitat destruction and disease all play a part. The solution, though, could be very simple: plant more native plants. Plants provide the protein-rich pollen and high-energy nectar that are crucial for bees to thrive. Native plants are particularly important as their prevalence makes them a more reliable source of sustenance for local pollinators. Not to mention these plants are easier to maintain as they are adapted to the local soil and climate conditions.

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