Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pollinators Horticulture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dunn County horticulture educator urges leaf-friendly fall cleanup to protect pollinators
Summary
Horticulture educator Margaret told the county committee about a new Environmental Stewardship Work Group, demonstration pollinator gardens at county facilities and fall-cleanup practices that help native bees, butterflies and other pollinators survive Wisconsin winters.
Margaret, Dunn County’s horticulture educator, described a new Environmental Stewardship Work Group and recent county demonstration gardens and urged residents to change fall-cleanup habits to protect pollinators.
Margaret said the work group — formed this spring with horticulture educators across Wisconsin — aims to compile shared educational materials and reduce duplicated effort. The group’s two early focus areas are sustainable horticulture practices (soil health, pest management and water-quality-aware landscapes) and improving biodiversity through invasive-species management and pollinator support.
Margaret noted Wisconsin supports more than 400 wild bee species and over 150 butterfly species; some pollinators are at elevated risk of extinction due to habitat loss, invasive species, disease, extreme weather and pesticide exposure. Citing national and state research, she emphasized that native plants tend to support far higher biodiversity than many nonnative ornamentals.
Her team has installed prairie and pollinator plantings at the Dunn County Government Center and the Judicial Center to serve as public demonstrations. She described those plantings — including 117 plants of 17 species at one site and 54 plants of 13 species at another — and said the county facilities partnership helps the Extension office test which species thrive in challenging microclimates.
On practical steps for residents, Margaret recommended leaving some garden stems standing through winter (or cutting them at varying heights, roughly 8–24 inches, if stems must be cut) and preserving some undisturbed bare soil for ground-nesting bees. “Seventy percent of Wisconsin wild bee population will nest in the ground,” Margaret said, and many pollinators use leaf litter and stems for overwintering.
She also advised minimizing pesticide use and, when necessary, reading product labels and applying pesticides at times when pollinators are inactive (for example after sunset) and avoiding applications to plants in full bloom.
The presentation included images of the demonstration gardens and outreach plans: printed brochures and signage at the Government Center, tours and talks to local garden clubs and libraries, and booths at community events. Committee members responded positively and suggested short summary materials county staff could use when communicating with municipalities and residents about leaves and lake-runoff concerns.
Margaret said community interest is high and the demonstration gardens have already supported tours and classes.
