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<DIV><FONT size=2>An article about Steve Javorek and his work on blueberry
pollinators in Nova Scotia. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT
size=2>**************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>From <EM>The Chronicle Herald</EM>, </FONT><A
href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/847617.html"><FONT
size=2>http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/847617.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><STRONG>Workers? Sure, but they’re wild too</STRONG><BR>By
PAUL PICKREM | 5:51 AM</FONT><FONT class=Content_body-links></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>
<DIV><FONT size=2>(</FONT><A href="mailto:ppickrem@herald.ca"><FONT
size=2>ppickrem@herald.ca</FONT></A><FONT size=2>)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>WHILE SCIENTISTS and farmers are concerned about a decline in
the population and health of honeybees in Canada and the United States, one
researcher in the Annapolis Valley is buzzing about the importance of wild bees
to natural and agricultural ecosystems.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Steven Javorek, a research scientist at Agriculture Canada’s
research station in Kentville, which looks at wildlife habitat on all farmland
across the country, said in a recent interview there are 300 species of wild
bees in the Maritimes. They are different from honeybees in that they are
solitary females, rather than a queen and workers, taking care of their
offspring by nesting in the ground or a hole in a tree to deposit pollen and an
egg.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Seventy of the wild bee species are busy pollinating
multimillion-dollar crops like wild blueberries. Some of those pollinate 10
times the amount of blueberry blossoms as honeybees, and studies show wild bees
can handle about 30 per cent of Canada’s blueberry pollination.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"Pollination is important because one out of every four
mouthfuls of food or beverages we take, we get because of a pollinator," Mr.
Javorek said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>His research shows wild bees are "extremely efficient"
pollinators because they fly in marginal weather and have evolved in the region
along with wild blueberry plants.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"We want to find out how to create and maintain a larger
population," he said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>To do that, Mr. Javorek has studied how the accessibility of
places to nest and feed within a kilometre of the crops needing pollination
affects the numbers of bees available.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"Reproductive output goes down the further they have to fly to
find pollen for their young," he said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"There is also a direct correlation between the number of
wildflowers within one kilometre and the number of bees available to pollinate
crops."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Mr. Javorek’s goal is to provide growers with practical
guidelines to enhance wild bee abundance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"There needs to be good wildflower resources," he
said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"But they can be a couple of hundred metres from the blueberry
plants. They don’t have to be right on that field. We’re looking at the
influence of the broader landscape." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Mr. Javorek said the research is timely because there is some
evidence of a global decline in wild bees due to loss of habitat and a decline
in plant diversity. He said there is a need for a diversified pollination
strategy that considers both honeybees and wild bees.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>The research looks at developing alternative sources of
pollination like introducing the alfalfa leaf cutting bee. It was first
introduced to the region in the 1970s and is available commercially from Western
Canada. It is a solitary bee that likes to nest close to its neighbours in
tunnels and can be released in blueberry fields.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"To rely on a single species to do our pollination is not
wise," he said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>He said he also works with organizations like the U.S.-based
North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and the Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation to "educate people about what bees do and their
importance."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV></FONT>
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<DIV><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><STRONG>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>The Xerces Society is an international
nonprofit organization that </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>protects the diversity of life through
invertebrate conservation. </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>To
</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>join the Society, make a </FONT></FONT><FONT
size=1>contribution</FONT><FONT size=1>, </FONT><FONT size=1>or read about our
work, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>please visit </FONT><FONT size=1><A
href="http://www.xerces.org/">www.xerces.org</A>.</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Matthew Shepherd</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Director, Pollinator Conservation Program</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215,
USA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233
6794</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Email: </FONT><A href="mailto:mdshepherd@xerces.org"><FONT
size=1>mdshepherd@xerces.org</FONT></A><FONT size=1> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></DIV>
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