Presenter: Olivia Heller − Environmental Studies
Co-Presenter(s): Julia Nauman, Lindsey Nguyen, Fischer Kirk
Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay, Gabby Altmire
Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Learning from the Environment
Native pollinators are beneficial in agroecosystems because they are more cost-efficient, resistant to disease, and more favorable to the larger ecosystem than imported honey bees. The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) has been monitoring pollinators at Whitewater Ranch (WWR), an organic blueberry and timber farm in Leaburg, Oregon, since 2014. Here, the ELP has assisted WWR in its restoration of Goose Creek, a riparian zone that runs through the ranch. The goal of the project is to increase native pollinator abundance and diversity for the benefit of the ranch and greater ecosystem. To do so, we explored the potential of native riparian and forb plantings to increase native pollinator populations. First, we continued to monitor the effects of previous riparian plantings on current pollinator populations in blueberry fields. Second, we explored the role of floral enhancements in logged areas after the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. Working with insect ecologist Lauren Ponisio, we are monitoring which native forbs are most successful in the previously burned areas of Whitewater Ranch. We expect pollinator numbers to remain relatively consistent with previous years.