Understanding and CreatingWildlife Habitat
C E L I A V U O C O L O
S U S T A I N A B L E H A B I T A T P R O G R A M A S S I S T A N T
P I E D M O N T E N V I R O N M E N T A L C O U N C I L
“For the first time in its history, gardening has taken
on a role that transcends the needs of the gardener.
Gardeners have become important players in the
management of our nation’s wildlife. It is now within
the power of individual gardeners to do something
that we all dream of doing: to make a difference.”
~Douglas Tallamy, Bringing Nature Home
Piedmont Environmental Council
Protecting Open Space in the Piedmont
• Land Conservation
• Conservation Easements
• Land Use
• Transportation solutions
• Community Planning
• Energy
• Promoting Rural Economies and Ag
•Buy Fresh Buy Local guide
• Restoring Wildlife Habitat….
9 County region: Fauquier, Albemarle, Clarke, Loudoun, Orange, Madison, Greene, Rappahannock, Culpeper
Sustainable Habitat Program
Site Visits* Outreach* Land Management* Watershed Projects* Conservation Partnering*
Prioritizing Projects
Pick an area of your property that:
needs the most help
You feel inspired to change
Or….
Invasive Plant Infestations
Transitional Areas
Areas of high ecological value
Reconnecting Habitat (grasslands, forest, corridors)
Providing Food Sources Year round
Example: the Black-capped Chickadee
Winter diet: 50% insect, 50% seed/berries
Summer diet: 80% insect (particularly caterpillars)
One pair brings 390-570 caterpillars per day to their young.
This is typical of many species:
60%-80% of a Hummingbird’s
diet is insects!
25% of a Red Fox’s diet is insects!
Nest Structures
Cavity Nesters:
Certain songbird species, woodpeckers, squirrels, owls, blue orchard mason bees, leaf cutter bees, insects.
Ground nesters:
Bumble bees, some turtles, a few songbirds (directly on the ground), snakes, some small mammals, other native bees, insects.
Honeybees vs. Native bees
Honey bees:
Not native to U.S.
Suffering from CCD
Colonial
Hives easily managed and transported
Some competition for floral resources with other bee species
Heavily relied upon for crop pollination
Honeybees vs. Native bees
Native bees4000 different species (variety of sizes,
pollination techniques, floral preferences, life cycles)
Honeybees are transmitting mites and disease to bumble bees
Some are more efficient crop pollinators than honeybees!
Most are solitary
Nest in ground or tube-like structures
Bumble Bees
Generalist foragers
Only truly social native bee, but colony is seasonal.
Ground nesters
“Buzz Pollination” required by some crops (tomatoes, peppers, cranberries)
Can handle cooler temps: Some of the earliest & latest bees: February- November!
Forage earlier and later in the day than honeybees
Bumblebees on average visit twice as many flowers per minute as compared to honeybees.
Some plants rely on bumble bees for pollination
bumble bee pollinating bottle gentian
Mason Bees & Leaf Cutter Bees
Osmia spp. and Megachile spp.
Solitary bees- nest in tubes, reeds, dead branches
Osmia spp. are orchard pollinators. Osmia lignaria is the only native bee managed for in agriculture.
Emerge in early spring, coincides with flowering peach and apple trees AND eastern native trees.
Research has shown that Osmia is more efficient at pollination than honeybees!
Pollinators are a big deal!
70% of all flowering plant species on the planet rely on pollinators to reproduce
30% of foods and beverages are the direct result of insect pollination.
In 2010, insect pollination contributed $29 billion to farm income in the U.S.
Pollinator Habitat Needs
FOOD
Early Spring, Spring- Summer, Late Fall
Natives vs. Traditional Garden Plants
Clustering 3 or more of the same plant together
Blue, white, yellow flowers- but some have UV patterns!!
Selecting pollinator powerhouse plants (not just perennials!)
Pollinator Habitat Needs
COVER
NESTING SITES
Ground nesting bees vs. Cavity nesting bees
Observe where the bees go!
Native bee houses (southerly exposure)
Beetles, ants, flies (leaf piles, bush piles, compost)
Leave dead stems standing!
SHRUBBY EDGES & HEDGEROWS
Valuable pollinator habitat!
Questions?
Celia Vuocolo
Sustainable Habitat Program Assistant
Piedmont Environmental Council
540-347-2334