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This content is based on a post originally published on February 17, 2012, on my blog “Pollinators Info” (no longer online).
What’s a nectar corridor, you might be wondering? This is the term applied to a route used by migratory pollinators, along which they travel yearly to feed and reproduce. There are migratory pollinators all over the world, but let’s focus here on those that travel through the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, USA, and Mexico.
The fun posters you see here are from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s (ASDM) page about their Migratory Pollinators Program. This fabulous program combines research and outreach to conserve the migration routes of four pollinators:
- Lesser long-nosed bat, Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae
- Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
- White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica mearnsii
- Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus
These pollinators are essential to maintaining a healthy ecosystem in the Sonoran Desert and they, in turn, rely on floral resources in this ecosystem to survive. Lesser long-nosed bats (first image) and white-winged doves (last image) pollinate columnar cacti, like saguaro and organ pipe.
The rufous hummingbird (second image) pollinates such species as chuparosa, ocotillo, and tree morning glory. Monarch butterflies (third image) are notorious for their relationship with milkweed species, but they also pollinate other flowering plants.
Preserving nectar corridors protects pollinators by conserving the habitats they use for feeding and raising young. In doing so, this also protects other wildlife. For this reason, migratory pollinators are considered keystone species, those whose activities and conservation have a large impact on other living things in their environments.
Why is the ASDM’s Migratory Pollinator Program is so fantastic? Their approach combines research with outreach in a manner that I think has the best chance at actually working! There are a lot of people on the planet (about 7 billion as I write this), and our demand for space and resources has a huge impact on natural ecosystems. I think the best way to conserve these ecosystems is to keep learning and engage local people through education and involvement.
For instance, the ASDM has partnered with research scientists to discover primary nectar plants and important habitats for these four target pollinators. Using this information, the Museum created educational programs to teach teachers AND students about how pollinators relate to their lives, their local communities, and the world. Already, the outreach and education program has reached thousands of people in Arizona, on the Tohono O’odum Reservation, and in Sonora, Mexico!
The Museum states that people have been eager to learn about migratory pollinators and to take steps to teach others and participate in monitoring and conservation efforts.
Doesn’t it just give you warm-fuzzies all over?! Do you live in an area with migratory pollinators? Tell us about it in the comments section!
| Download and use of images from this site is a violation of copyright law and legal action will be pursued, unless permission has been granted by the author. All images are copyright Athena Rayne Anderson unless otherwise stated. |
Athena Rayne Anderson 
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