AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — Pollinators play a vital role in the environment by helping crops, fruits, vegetables and flowers flourish. Through upcoming Pollinator Partners of Alabama training events, people can learn more about these fascinating creatures along with ways to protect and support their populations.

Bethany O’Rear, a home horticulture agent with Alabama Extension at Auburn University, said participants will receive everything they need to become true advocates for pollinators.

“Attending a Pollinator Partners of Alabama training session is just the beginning,” O’Rear said. “We will provide every attendee with digital resources and information, which they can use to train more people about pollinators. The goal is for them to go out and present at local community meetings, libraries and anywhere that people might like to learn more.”

What Attendees Will Learn

Participants will learn how to identify a wide range of pollinator insects and hear more about their overall impact.

“Usually, people think about bees and butterflies when talking about pollinators, but wasps and flies fill that role, too,” O’Rear said. “Pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food that we eat, including a lot of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. Plus, pollinators are critical in maintaining plant diversity. When pollinator diversity declines, plant diversity can decline as well because not all pollinators visit the same plants.”

Speakers will also discuss planning sustainable landscape designs and ways to protect pollinators.

“We want to be good stewards of our gardens and farms as well as the pollinators that visit them,” O’Rear said.

Additionally, the training will introduce attendees to the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. A citizen-science project, the census relies on volunteers to collect and submit pollinator observations. This year, the census will take place Aug. 21 and 22.

Event Information

Seven trainings will be held at locations across the state. Each training starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. The dates and host cities include the following:

• June 11 in Auburn
• June 12 in Guntersville
• June 23 in Tuscaloosa
• June 24 in Fairhope
• June 26 in Russellville
• June 30 in Jemison
• July 1 in Ozark

The cost is $40 and lunch is provided. Online registration is required, and attendance is limited to the first 50 to sign up.

“We would love to have a full house at all of these events,” O’Rear said. “The more people we have becoming certified pollinator partners, the more communities we can reach with information about protecting pollinators and creating pollinator-friendly spaces.”

For full details, including links to register, visit aces.edu/go/6231.