[Pollinator] Mason Bee pollination project needs you support!

Fri Jul 20 10:32:41 PDT 2007

Hi:

This started with several thousand ideas, from which they chose the top 50,  
which has now been pared down to the top 25 projects to be voted upon, and 
after  your review, I hope you will find my proposal, "restore our bee 
population!" to  be the one that you vote for.  For your ease of access I have posted my 
 project at the end.  Our future flies on the wings of  pollinators.  Thanks 
for your time and thoughts on this project,  and please spread the word! 
(there are several cards that make you  eligible to vote.  See site for complete 
list)

Steve

Sent from the Internet _(Details)_ (aolmsg://037cdf48/inethdr/2)  

                        We're down to 25 truly  incredible projects. Which 
ones will make the  Final 5 and go head to head for funding from  American 
Express? That's for Cardmembers to  decide.    From the environment to  education, 
there's a variety of inspiring  project ideas to back. So join Cardmembers at 
_membersproject.com_ 
(http://email.americanexpress.com/a/hBGnNJ8AQB6AABPwgx5ADuz3O$f/axp1)   and cast a vote for your favorite project  idea.    Don't 
forget, the more  Cardmembers who register, the more dollars we'll  donate - up to 
$5 million - to make a positive  impact. And on July 24, we'll announce the 
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Project ID:  01085
Date  Posted: 7/02

Pennsylvania  State University Dept. of Entomology 
 (http://www.membersproject.com/Environment_Wildlife/1085#supporter)   

Project  Description:
With the  collapse of our honey bee population, for  reasons unknown, I am 
proposing that we  propagate a replacement for the honey bee while  there is 
still the opportunity. Approximately  85% of the fruits and vegetables that we 
consume  rely on pollination, and I am suggesting that a  suitable replacement 
could be the ORCHARD MASON  BEE, which can be done on a large commercial  
basis. With the proper funding, this project can  be accomplished in a relatively 
short time frame  of three to five years.More  Information:  
Date Posted: 7/08
Pollination is  vital to our survival and the existence of  nearly all 
ecosystems on earth. 80% of the  world's crop plants depend on pollination.  
Pollinators, almost all of which are insects,  are indispensable partners for an 
estimated 1  out of every 3 mouthfuls of food, spices and  condiments we eat, and 
the beverages we drink.  They are essential to the fibers we use, the  
medicines that keep us healthy, and more than  half of the world's diet of fats and 
oils.  Insect pollinators, including honey bees,  pollinate products amounting 
to $20 billion  annually in the U.S. alone. What is pollination  and who are 
pollinators? Pollination occurs when  pollen is moved within flowers or carried 
from  one flower to another of the same species by  birds, bees, bats, 
butterflies, moths, beetles  or other animals, or by the wind. This transfer  of 
leads to fertilization and successful seed  and fruit production.  
Date Posted: 7/08
Pollinators are  essential to life. Nearly 80% of our world's  crop plants 
require pollination. Birds, bees,  butterflies, but also beetles, mosquitoes, 
and  even bats transfer pollen between seed plants.  This function is vital for 
plant reproduction.  Pollinators need protection. Without  pollinators, humans 
and ecosystems cannot  survive. Due to biodiversity threats such as  land 
development, pollution, and pesticide  poisoning, we are losing pollinators 
around the  world at an alarming rate. Greater awareness and  global action are 
required now to change this  trend. Learn about pollinators here and get  
involved. Whether you are gardener, a farmer, a  resource manager, an educator, or 
simply an  interested consumer, the Pollinator Partnership  provides news, 
resources, programs, and an  extensive digital library to support you in  helping 
pollinators. From small daily actions to  larger organized activities, you can 
get  involved in many ways.  
Date Posted: 7/08
A Little Life  History . . . Solitary bees such as the Blue  Orchard Mason 
Bee were pollinating the fruits  and flowers of this continent for millions of  
years before the first colonists brought the  honey bee to North America 
sometime before 1638.  Mason Bees are one of North Americaâs most  common bees 
having colonized both sides of the  Rocky Mountains and across the United States.  
Our tiny friend is black with a blue sheen and  are about 2/3 the size of a 
honey bee. They  often go unnoticed because of their small size  and are 
mistaken for flies from a distance.  While they are not as sophisticated as the 
honey  bee they are superior pollinators. An average  honey bee visits about 700 
blooms daily, but  pollinates only 30. Mason Bees visit an average  of 1600 
flowers daily and pollinate almost all  the flower stigmas they come in contact 
with.  ________________________________________  

Member:  sbrustkern
About Me:
Steve  Brustkern. Washington state resident. Consults  to individuals, 
estates, farms, and commercial  operations, (such as vineyards), that wish to  get, 
and keep,their properties chemical and  pesticide free. Have been propagating 
Orchard  Mason Bees for the past 10 years, and now have  several thousand, 
which I have placed primarily  in the Pacific Northwest, but currently have 20k  
in the Almond orchards in So. California as part  of a test with Christopher 
O'Toole, Head of Bee  Systematics and Biology Unit, Oxford University  Museum 
of Natural History, Oxford, UK. While I  find the other 49 proposals to be 
compelling, I  believe that we must take care of our  pollination issue in order 
to keep our food  chain well stocked and healthy. Without food,  the other 
projects have little meaning!  

Whither the Bees? 
Fruits and vegetables are an essential part  of a healthy diet. Over 90 
fruits and vegetables  rely on honey bees for pollination but honey bee  
populations have been crashing, and the cause is  unknown. The new syndrome called 
Colony Collapse  Disorder has resulted in a significant loss of  honey bee colonies 
across North America. Honey  bees are responsible for pollinating crops worth 
 more than $14 million. We at Penn State  University have been researching 
honey bee  health and other bees, such as Osmia cornifrons.  Our team of 
scientists is dedicated to finding a  solution to the health problems of honey bees,  
increasing the use of other bees for  pollination, and training young 
scientists who  will continue this work. We are investigating  bee diseases, bee 
nutrition and pesticide  impacts. One avenue of research is evaluating  
pollinators that are alternatives to honey bees.  The Blue Orchard Mason (BOM) Bees are 
known to  pollinate fruit, including apples, cherries,  raspberries and 
blueberries, and may be useful  for the pollination of vegetables. BOM bees are  
extremely industrious and very people-friendly.  However, we do not know enough 
about BOM bees as  a replacement for honey bees in commercial  agriculture.  
University research is the backbone of  innovation in our agricultural 
production  system. Investments in university research to  help solve the honey bee 
problem and develop  alternative pollinators is money well spent. An  American 
Express Members Project grant would  help equip laboratories, generate 
concrete  information on alternative pollinators and  solutions for honey bee health 
problems, fund  the education of graduate students, and keep the  
agricultural community informed of the newest  advances in bee and pollination  
management.

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particular project.  (http://www.membersproject.com/widget.htm?id=1085)   

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