If you’ve heard about the trouble that bees and other pollinators are facing you may be concerned and perhaps you want to do something to help. Not everyone however, wants to become a beekeeper─bees do sting after all! Yet there are many things that homeowners, property managers, and farmers can do to increase the populations of beneficial insects where they are.
To read more about why bees are in trouble check out this post about how pollinator decline threatens agriculture, or see this post learn more about who are the native pollinators, and if you’re a farmer check out this article about the benefits of supporting native bees on your farm.
What is a Pollinator & Beneficial Insect Conservation Plan?
This is a site-specific blueprint which identifies habitat conditions for pollinators and other beneficial insects in your backyard, on your farm, or on existing conservation land or other property, and offers recommendations that can increase their abundance and benefits.
What are the Benefits?
75% of the plants on Earth require animals to aid them in their reproduction. By improving existing habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects you can increase the diversity of wildlife in your community. Because pollinators are a keystone species, promoting their well-being through the conservation of the flora and fauna in your area, promotes the well-being of the entire ecosystem.
Protecting and enhancing or creating new habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects provides habitat for everything from frogs and snakes, to owls, foxes, moose and bear. You will even be helping to combate climate change by encouraging the growth of air filtering plants.
If you’re a farmer, restoring pollinator habitat improves crop pollination and harvest yields which contribute to a farmer’s bottom line. Even if your farm does not rely on pollination, other beneficial insects will provide important benefits such as natural pest suppression.
Pollinator & Beneficial Insect Conservation Plans identify field-level practices that are designed to improve foraging and nesting habitat for pollinators. This may include practices such as installing hedgerows, wildflower meadows, incorporating beneficial cover crops, and adjusting mowing and pesticide practices.
Additional Benefits:
- Improved water quality and soil health with native plant buffers.
- Replacement of weedy areas with high quality wildlife habitat.
- Farm/property beautification with wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and other plantings.
- Supports biodiversity conservation standards for various farm certification programs.
Samantha has been enthralled with bees now for nearly a decade. As the former president of the Somerset County Beekeepers’ she taught beekeepers and local communities about bees. She has served as a volunteer educating the public about the importance of pollinators. Her passion has spurred an obsessive drive to learn how to help beneficial insects and to share that knowledge with others. Samantha took the Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Short-Course at MOFGA several years ago and knows the ins and outs of beekeeping. She speaks bees, and breathes pollinator conservation. She is happy to share her experience and knowledge with others through individual property consultations.
How it Works
- A phone conversation to gain a deeper understanding of the project’s basic goals, resources, and needs. Scheduling for an on-site visit.
- Samantha visits your site to assess existing habitats and resources.
- Back at Runamuk, Samantha will use the assessment to develop a plan tailored to meet the specific needs and goals for the particular site.
- The property owner or manager uses the plan to implement recommended strategies.
- Follow-up assessment on site at 1 and 3-year intervals to determine the efficacy of the plan and whether or not any modifications should be made.
Types of Projects
- Private land owners: home-owners and farms
- Residential and resort communities
- Community centers and faith-based organizations
- Municipalities
- Historic farms and gardens
- Schools, camps, and other educational programs
- Children’s hospitals, senior centers and other health-based institutions
- Restaurants, culinary centers and spas
Affordable Rates
Free initial consultation by phone.
2 Hour Minimum: $80 + travel fee if further than 30 miles from Norridgewock, Maine.
Hourly: $25/hr after the first 2 hours.
Full-Day Rate: $200 + travel, meals & accommodations when necessary.
Whether you have a small garden in the middle of the city, or hundreds of acres spread out across your farm, Samantha’s goal will always be the same─to help you create a more bee-friendly habitat that benefits not only pollinators, but all wildlife.
Contact Runamuk today at (207)858-5909 or by email: runamukacres@gmail.com for more information about our consulting services, or to schedule your pollinator habitat assessment.
