| Make an Impact for Invertebrates this Earth Week
This Earth Week, we are reminded of the critical importance of conserving the planet that we call home. Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, worms, bees, mussels, and snails are but a few of the millions of invertebrates at the heart of a healthy environment. The services they perform—pollinating, dispersing seeds, becoming food for wildlife, recycling nutrients, cleaning water—are critical to life on our planet, and without them, whole ecosystems would collapse.
To conserve invertebrates, we must protect biodiversity and address the climate crisis. Anyone who has attended one of my talks or read my writings has heard me mention natural climate solutions. These solutions involve conserving, restoring, or better managing ecosystems, including natural areas, farms, parks, or yards. The plants in these areas remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and enhance ecosystem resilience, helping plants, wildlife, and human communities adapt to climate change.
Below are a few examples of how natural climate solutions work.
Hedgerows provide habitat for wildlife—including flowers andnesting resources for pollinators—and are home to many birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Hedgerows also capture a tremendous amount of carbon from the atmosphere. Xerces has worked with farmers across the US to establish over 125 miles of beneficial hedgerows across landscapes.
Freshwater mussel beds are the coral reefs of rivers and streams. Living up to 70 years, they clean large volumes of water, stabilize sediments, and enhance carbon storage. Xerces’ work has led to major improvements in how mussels are conserved. In just a few years, more than 77,000 freshwater mussels were rescued in collaborations between Xerces, federal and state agencies, tribes, and other non-profits.
Xerces mobilizes communities to establish wildlife habitat by distributing free, climate-smart, pesticide-free, native pollinator plants (we call them habitat kits) to partners. These kits establish vital habitats to sustain pollinators, while capturing carbon, beautifying landscapes, and bringing nature to areas that need it most. Xerces has supported over 2,400 projects and given away over 550,000 plants to help pollinators and people. With additional funding, we hope to expand into new regions in the coming years.
In the last 25 years, Xerces has protected and restored over four million acres and improved management on tens of millions of additional acres. These protected, restored, and improved landscapes all help the little things that run the world.
Your passion for our shared mission is the fuel that keeps all of us at Xerces going. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Xerces today.
Sincerely,
Scott Black, Director
P.S. Conserving invertebrate habitat is the key to resiliency as the climate changes. Please consider giving back to this planet this Earth Week by making a tax-deductible gift to the Xerces Society. |
North Carolina Small Farm Association 