US House of Representatives forms the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus
Last week the US House of Representatives formed the first Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus (CP2C), which plans to ensure that accurate information about a wide variety of land issues is available to lawmakers. The co-chairs, Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL) cited the importance of pollinators to food production when they announced CP2C.
June 21 through 27 is National Pollinator Week
The Caucus was announced in time for 2010's National Pollinator Week. Always the last full week of June, Pollinator Week celebrates and advocates for butterflies, bees and other pollinators, both wild and managed. Many activities and materials related to Pollinator Week—from ringtones to a photo contest to planting guides—are available at www.pollinator.org.
Study looks for links between birds and invasive plants
Clare Aslan and Marcel Rejmanek of the University of California, Davis are studying the role native bird species play in spreading invasive plants. They asked birders in different areas of the U.S. to note the feeding habits of local bird species. Aslan states, "The goal is to link specific birds with their new-found preferences for certain invasive plant species." As the birds eat the seeds or fruits of plants, they drop seeds. Some seeds are also carried in their feathers, to fall to the ground after the birds travel some distance. The study also identified 17 plants that should be studied further because of their potential for becoming invasive, as they are frequented by birds. Read more at Science Daily.
