Thursday, May 19, 2016

Why pollinators are important

 Why pollinators are important

“It is important to realize that humans and other creatures depend on pollinators for their over an health and ultimately their own survival”- Maia A. They weed out the sick pollinators. For the colonies survival.

Pesticides and mites are killing pollinators because pollinators there destroy homes. They pick up poisonous pollen. (Beyond

Pollinators help spread pollen from plant to plant which if they die ⅓ of our food will be gone. Mites kill bees and neonics threaten bees.( the mites attach themselves on their hosts.

⅓ of our food is gone and other insects would take over. Birth defects and pollution people would have to pollinate. Without pollinators our food would lose ⅓ would be gone another insects would takeover. People would have to pollinate. (

 We have to plant flowers. The year was 1985 when pesticides were allowed in america. In 2012 the law in Boston was allowed to have pollinators. Less harmful chemicals has monitor on bees. They would cause birth defects and fertility. (

At M.M.S. We are planting a garden,writing letters,have are own butterflies,planting wild flowers. At mms we are planting a garden,writing letters,have are own butterflies,planting wild flowers.(Carrabassett)



Pollinators are decreasing in numbers. Without pollinators we would be missing ⅓ of our food all around the world. That's a lot of food! Pollinators need us and we need them. They need us to plant more flowers and different crops. We need them to pollinate our food so we can eat it.  The main factors of habitat loss are pesticides, habitat loss and people building over their habitats.

      Pollinators are dying. There are multiple factors pollinators dying. The first factor is pesticides. Pesticides kill the bad bugs yes, but they also kill the good ones making it harder for them to pollinate our flowers and food.

       The second is habitat loss. Habitat loss is caused by nature and people. Sometime nature makes a hurricane or tsunami that washes out a certain area that has a lot of insects or something.

    Then there are humans. Humans cut down the trees where animals and insects live or they clear out a whole area. Since people and construction are similar they belong in one paragraph. People just build over the land not even caring about where they build and destroy many homes for the wild life. “There are over 450 wild bees in our area”. (Laura Klahre TED talks)  Just this number alone is enough to prove that we need to help save the pollinators. With all the people destroying the habitats there is no room left for them to grow and have a family.

       Pollinators make help make ⅓ of all our food. When  pollinators go from flower to flower collecting nectar they also get pollen on themselves which travels with them to all the other flowers they visit. “Bumblebees land on the flower then fasten their jaw on to the flower and eat the nectar”.(Laura Klahre TED talks) This shows how they start the pollination process. From here they go to the next flower and then repeat the cycle repeatedly.

       One of the consequences of losing pollinators is having the food chain effected and that will not only affect nature but us to. Making our food supply shorter and we won't have honey! In China since they used pesticides people and the wind are going to have to be the ones that pollinate instead of the insects so it would make our life a little harder.

       People are throwing to ban pesticides and growing their own gardens these problems started effecting America in 2006. One of the adaptations that have been made is in 2012 New York was allowed to have there own garden at their places. An alternative you could use instead of pesticides are using natural chemicals like other plants or vinegar.  Noah Wilson Rich did research on bees and found out that for winter survival in Urban keeping the rate was 62.5% and the Rural beekeeping was 40%. The honey yield was a 26.25% in Urban beekeeping and 16.75% for Rural beekeeping.

      In conclusion because pollinators are decreasing in numbers,losing their habitats and because of construction we are not only loosing over food but making a pathway for ourselves that will not be good and we will end up having to pay for it later on. We should be speaking up and trying to do something to make our gardens better for the environment. Here at MMS we are making our own garden and are trying to get other people to do that also. So that we can save the pollinators before they die. And help them with what little life they have.


Pollinators are very important. They help produce one-third of our food source. They also keep ninety percent of crops alive. Unfortunately, they are dying from the pesticides that are sprayed on plants. If we lose our pollinators, which is possible, we could lose one-third of our food source. But, Team Carrabassett is trying to help solve this problem.

      First, Pollinators are dying. Pollinators population is decreasing rapidly because of the use of pesticides on plants and crops. For example, the honeybees population has decreased 29% to 36% each year since 2006. Pesticides are responsible for the loss of pollinators nationwide. ( I picked this example because it shows how many pollinators are dying each year.

     Also, Pollinators help produce one-third by bringing pollen from plant to plant. Pollinators collect pollen from one plant then they bring the pollen to another plant. This is how they help produce one-third of our food source. For example, farmers have used bees to pollinate since the 80’s. (Laura Klahre, 11-11-15) I chose this example because it shows how much farmers need bees to pollinate.

   A consequence of losing pollinators is that we would lose 90% of crops and one-third of our food source. If bees were extinct, which is a possibility, we would lose most of our food. Without pollinators, you can say goodbye to cucumbers, almonds, carrots, melons, apricots, cherries, pears, apples, prunes, plums, cantaloupe, onions, avocado, kiwi, blueberries, cranberries and many more fruits and vegetables. For example, bees help produce one-third of our food source. Without pollinators, the other two thirds of our food source will be affected. ( I picked this example because it shows how much we really need bees for our foods.

   To address this issue, we are trying to bring awareness to the issue. Also, we can stop buying as much food from Monsanto companies. Monsanto is a company that makes pesticides. A few of their products include,Roundup, Agent Orange, DDT, GMO, and Dioxin. GMO’s are not exactly a bad thing, but it is a bad thing when they mix animal and plant genes together. For example, one time there were some tomatoes that had GMO’s. It wasn't out of the ordinary until they found out they had mixed grasshopper genes in with the tomatoes. I chose this example because it shows that not all GMO’s are horrible, but some are mixed with animals genes  which makes them really bad.

       On Team Carrabassett, we are doing our best to help to the pollinators. To try and resolve this issue we are doing three things. We are writing letters to bring awareness, we are filming PSA’s, and we are also making a pollinator-friendly garden at our school. We are trying to lower the use of pesticides and the use of harmful GMO’s. (Not all GMO’s, but the harmful ones). We are trying to solve this issue because we would not want to lose most of our food sources.


     Pollinators are important because of the fact of them dying so rapidly, also because of the great amount of work that they do, and finally because of the giant consequences of them dying off. Some types of pollinators may become extinct in near years. Most plant rely on pollinators to reproduce. Pollinators are dying very rapidly.
     Pollinators are dying at an alarming rate because of deadly pesticides. In fact, “In the winter of 2007-2008, 35% of only honey bee colonies collapsed because of pesticides and other chemicals spreading from one bee to another.”( This means that 35% of honey bee colonies when there's more than 1,000 different types of bees in all. This show you how many bees can be killed in only one season of the year.
      Pollinators are very important because they help spread pollen to help plants pollinate.You may not know that,” 90% of plants rely on pollinators to reproduce. This means that only 10% of plants species will survive if all pollinators become extinct. Also this means that 90 % of plants will die if the population of pollinators doesn't start rising in the near future.
      Pollinators are important because the large amount of consequences of losing them. You may have not known that, “ ⅓ of you may eat depends on pollinators.”( Panna,April 28/16) This means that ⅓ of your food you eat during dinner will be gone if pollinators are gone too. The foods that would be gone can range from fruits to vegetables and even some meats if you look at what the animals are eating.
      You may be thinking “ so now that we know about this what can we do?” Here at Massabesic Middle School we are writing letters to different company that are harming pollinators in different ways. Also we are planning to plant milkweed to bring more monarch butterfly's back to Maine. In conclusion pollinators are dying rapidly,because of how much work they do, and the considerable damage that would happen if all pollinators die.



    Pollinators are dying off and declining in great numbers. Some of the reasons are because of pesticide use, habitat loss, and construction. Pollinators are very important and they travel from plant to plant to pollinate. Losing pollinators is a horrible thing because without them we would have to self pollinate, but there are still ways to help the pollinators though. Team Carrabassett is trying to help and bring awareness to others. So this is everything in one.
    The main causes of pollinators declining is pesticides, habitat loss, and construction. Pesticides are being used everywhere to kill of the bugs that kill crops, but they are also killing the good pollinators. Pesticides can be lethal or sublethal. “3 to 6 amounts of pesticides are found in the pollen that bees collect”-Mariah Spivak (YouTube). The lethal kills and the sub lethal causes the bees not to be able to do their job, by making it harder to move or cause CCD. Habitat loss is when pollinators’ habitats are gone or destroyed. So the have nowhere to live so they die. Another cause is construction, because where the pollinators live are sometimes being destroyed for construction.
    Pollinators are very important because they provide us with a lot of our food supply. They do this by spreading pollen, by traveling from one plant to another plant. “Pollinators carry pollen from plant to plant to keep the life of plants and flowers reproducing”-Wings of Life, Disney Nature (movie). The pollinators collect reproductive cell of one plant and bring it to another which work together to make a seed or a fruit or vegetable. Which is how flowers reproduce and create a seed which may turn into plants that can grow fruits or vegetables. Because the pollinators pollinate they create food and flowers which help the Earth both supply food, but give beauty to the world.
     One consequence of losing pollinators is that the food supply will decrease greatly. So while the pollinators are decreasing, so is our food supply. Without pollinators we would have to self pollinate. For example, “China now has to self pollinate because they killed all of their pollinators”-(YouTube). Self pollination is very difficult, we would either have to go to every plant and vibrate the pollen loose, or get paintbrushes and take the pollen grain from each plant, and bring the pollen to another plant. Also without them flowers wouldn't reproduce so there would be no flowers in the world.
     To address the pollinator issue, people could stop using pesticides or just plant a garden for the pollinators to get nutrients from. A garden would help because plants and pollinators have a beneficial relationship. Pollinators getting the food they need from the plants and the pollinators helping the plants reproduce. “The government gave seeds to farmers so the farmers could plant them for the pollinators”-National Geographic. In 2010 New York City had allowed beekeeper to have bees. Research has been conducted and has proven that pesticides do affect the way the pollinators pollinate.
     Here at MMS (Massabesic Middle School), we are bringing awareness to the community, and starting a garden. We have tested the soil so it's perfect for the flowers, we are growing caterpillars (Painted Lady Butterflies), and ordered many seeds for the garden. The caterpillars will be growing into butterflies and will help pollinate the flowers in the garden. The garden will also attract other pollinators to get the nutrients from the flowers and pollinate more flowers. We are bringing awareness by sending letters to some places that are making and using pesticides or using bad GMOs. We are also bringing awareness by writing this.
    Now you know that pollinators are dying and why. Also, why they are important and the consequences of losing pollinators, what is being done to help, and how others can help, too.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Declining of Pollinators

By: Hayley Gonneville

   Did you know that pollinators are dying all around the globe? What is a pollinator anyways? Well, a pollinator is any type of bee (other than honey bees), ants, monarchs or other butterflies, hummingbirds, and beetles. Pollinators are very important for our food source. When you hear the word bug you may think that they just fly around and sting humans or animals, but they are actually much more than that. Pollinators are very beneficial. But pollinators are dying because of pesticides, without them nothing can help spread pollen from plant to plant. A consequence about losing pollinators is that our food sources will decrease. But to address this issue companies, such as Monsanto, can stop using unhealthy pesticides. Or you yourself can plant wildflowers around your lawn. Also limit products you buy from Monsanto. At MMS, team Carrabassett is bringing awareness to pollinators dying by planting milkweed for butterflies, on our school grounds.

   Many pollinators are dying because of pesticides. The use of pesticides isn't just harming animals, but they are also harming people. Such as cancer, allergies, birth defects, and more. “Pesticide use has increased, including a controversial one, called neonicotinoid that makes it hard for bees to fly and find their way”. ( Even though pesticides may help keep bugs from destroying crops, they also risk pollinators lives. There are also other causes to bees dying such as varroa mites, which suck bees blood, changes in weather or the weather being to cold, and habitat loss. But most of the bees are killed by unhealthy pesticides.

   Pollinators help spread pollen by traveling from plant to plant. Without the doing that, the plants can still bloom but they will not produce any food. “Approximately 90% of all flowering plants require pollinators to survive”. ( That means that only 10% of food plants of any plants can survive without pollinators. If you think about it, if pollinators went extinct almost all of our food would be gone. Mostly fruits and vegetables. To stay healthy we need the nutrients from fruits and vegetables. So if we lose those nutrients people could become very unhealthy.

   One consequence of losing pollinators is that our food sources will decrease. If some of the food is gone it affects the whole food chain. “Fully ⅓ of the food we eat depends on bees for pollination”. ( So you think, oh well we have the other ⅔ of the food. Well that's not true. That two-thirds is part of the food chain which will also be affected along with that ⅓. That means that ALL of our food will be at risk if pollinators go extinct. Considering that, you can plant all sorts of plants without using pesticides.

   To address the pollinator issue companies, such as Monsanto, can stop using pesticides that are harmful. You could plant wildflowers around your lawn and you can limit how many products you buys from Monsanto. Which are Betty Crocker, Campbell's soup, Doritos and Fritos, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Pepsi, Hershey's, and many more foods that you may love. “Obama has agreed to have a beehive placed on the grounds of the White House”. ( Obama is helping the bees population. You could also plant a beehive at your own house. Even if it's only in the woods.

   At MMS, team Carrabassett is bringing awareness to pollinators dying by planting milkweed and a pollinator friendly garden for butterflies, on our school grounds. By doing this we are saving almost over 4,000 different species of bees. We are making letters and public service announcements to help make a difference and save pollinators. This may not mean anything to you, but bugs and birds are very important to the food chain. So without them some people won't even have a job. Such as people who work at Walmart, Target, and other super markets. Most of all, Farmers who plant all of the crops that pollinators need pollinate.

   When you think GMO, you may think to yourself those are bad, but some GMO’s are good. Without GMO’s our food would have worms and they would look like they are rotten and moldy. Companies such as Monsanto use GMO’s but they are not bad. Companies also use GMO’s to speed up the food process. For example, like you go to the store everyday, they are trying to get enough food in stores for people like you to buy. As much food as you buy, companies have to keep up the food supply. Some GMO’s are very helpful in the supermarket department.

   Again, pollinators are very important to our food sources. They basically supply us food for us to live. The fruits, vegetables, and all the foods you love and eat daily. To address this issue you can plant milkweed for butterflies, beehives for bees, and wildflowers for all pollinators. They give you all of your food so the least you can do is plant a couple flowers here and there to save lives of pollinators.