Empowering Pollination: “Plants Have Wings”

Empowering Pollination: “Plants Have Wings”

During Pollinator Week Lloyd EcoDistrict screened “Plants Have Wings” with a discussion from a panelist on pollinator conservation. In the film, director Rose Madrone follows the efforts of an inspired young bicycle activist who is working hard to protect the Monarch Butterfly and uses this as a means to educate about the importance of protecting pollinators. Through her work, Rose invites us to explore the ripple effects of our actions in an interconnected world, and vividly open one’s understanding to the impact our choices can have. 

Attendees were able to virtually view this beautiful film from the comfort of their homes, and enjoy insight from the director herself and other pollinator experts afterwards. Joining us on our panel was director, Rose Madrone, who discussed her inspiration for the film along with the broader story she is trying to tell through the “Connectivity Project Film Series” of which “Plants Have Wings” is part of. Rose invited us to think of our own connection to pollinators, and allowed for individuals to feel empowered in their ability to create a difference in their actions. 

Backing up this call to action we were joined with experts David Kollen from the Xerces Society and Janet Gifford from the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. David came armed with his knowledge of specifically bee conservation, and explained to the audience the drastic effect even a small pollinator garden can have on pollinators. He shared with the audience that bees’ breadth of space to pollinate is dependent on size, so a pollinator garden can appear as an entire world to different sizes of bees. In starting these pollinator gardens, Janet reassured the audience that it wasn’t as difficult as it might sound! Even with limited greenspace, implementing native Oregon pollinator plants like Salal, Kinnikinnik, Mahonia nervosa help draw in pollinators to feed them. 

Even if you missed out on this event, there’s still plenty of ways to get involved with pollinator conservation in our very own Lloyd neighborhood. Come out to our neighborhood’s Peace Memorial Park clean-up on July 17th, if you’re interested in attending, find more information and register here. Learn more about pollinator placemaking projects happening in the Lloyd neighborhood, and come visit our Pollinator Corridor bikeway or check out Peace Memorial Park’s pollinator garden. Additionally, get involved with Backyard Habitat and begin their certification program, and reduce or eliminate any pesticide use currently in your green-spaces. In the meantime, watch out for our future “Connectivity Project” screening later this summer that features a powerful segment on empowerment and resource conservation. 

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