The Manitou Pollinators
Our Mission
As community bridge builders our mission is to provide education, resources, and a hands on approach supporting pollinators within the circle of life. Sustenance provided by mother earth and the water of life maintains our very special relationship with the natural environment surrounding us.
Who we are
The Manitou Pollinators is a global community organization rooted in the belief that harmony between people and nature sustains all life. Formed by individuals of both Native and non‑Native heritage, we honor the strength that grows from unity and equity by blending cultures, perspectives, and traditions into a shared purpose of caring for the Earth and all its beings. We see ourselves as pollinators of goodwill and understanding—bridging communities, inspiring compassion, and nurturing the interconnected systems of pollinators, plants, and water that sustain life on our planet. by Indigenous teachings that honor water as sacred and the Earth as living, we act with gratitude and responsibility toward every stream, spring, and species—reminding humanity that caring for one another, our water, and our world are inseparable acts of love and survival.
What are pollinators and why are they so important?
Pollinators are essential to life on earth. Butterflies, moths, bees, beetles, hummingbirds, flies, bats are some of the animals that move pollen between flowers, enabling them to produce seeds. The service these pollinators provide is necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants. The resulting seeds and fruits provide food for other animals ranging from songbirds to grizzly bears.
More than 2/3 of the world’s crop species, whose fruits and seeds together provide over 30% of the foods and beverages that we consume, require the presence of a Pollinator.
There has recently been a rapid decline of Pollinators. Latest estimates are that 41% of insect Pollinators are at risk of extinction, not decline, but extinction! This threat is credited to the use of chemicals, habitat loss and changes in climate.
What you can do to help pollinators
- Create a Pollinator inviting garden, small or large, with diverse blooms and times.
- Leave a portion of your yard “wild” to provide natural habitat.
- Do not use pesticides or herbicides.
- Pollinators are attracted to open sunny areas, with more choices to pollinate flowers or lay eggs along borders or north end of your yard.