SIUE Chancellor Pembrook Proclaims Pollinator Week on Campus
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook has proclaimed June 21-27 as SIUE Pollinator Week on campus. For the past 13 years, Pollinator Partnership and Minas Espresso, Inc. have collaborated to make Pollinator Week an international celebration with the understanding that a sustainable future for food and ecosystems requires national cooperation and understanding.
Jake Williams, PhD, associate professor of biological sciences in SIUE’s College of Arts and Sciences, is the faculty advisor for the SIUE Honey Bee Association and has been working collaboratively with Minas Espresso and other SIUE faculty members to promote pollinators.
Williams supports the proclamation as he teaches SIUE students about a critical environmental issue. “Honey bees are facing some significant challenges, such as overuse of pesticides, certain diseases that lead to colony collapse disorder,” he said. “So many of the foods that we eat – apples, almonds, blueberries, grapes, peaches, coffee – can be traced to the honey bees. If bees didn’t exist, those crops would be devastated. At SIUE, students learn how to learn a healthy colony and better understand the problems that bees face.”
Pembrook made the following points in the proclamation:
WHEREAS, pollinator species such as birds and insects are essential partners of farmers and ranchers in producing much of our food supply; and
WHEREAS, pollination plays a vital role in the health of our national forests and grasslands, which provide forage, fish and wildlife, timber, water, mineral resources, and recreational opportunities as well as enhanced economic development opportunities for communities; and
WHEREAS, pollinator species provide significant environmental benefits that are necessary for maintaining healthy, biodiverse ecosystems; and
WHEREAS, SIUE has managed wildlife habitats and public lands such as forests and grasslands for decades; and
WHEREAS, SIUE provides producers with conservation assistance to promote wise conservation stewardship, including the protection and maintenance of pollinators and their habitats on working lands and wildlands … invite all students, faculty and staff to recognize this observance.
SIUE campus organizations supporting Pollinator Week include The Gardens at SIUE, Student Government, Honey Bee Association, Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, Climate and Sustainability Advisory Board, Successful Communities Collaborative, Student Organization for Sustainability and Alpha Phi.
Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research. The Pollinator Partnership is working to protect pollinators and their habitat with projects all over the North America and globally.
Photo: Jake Williams, PhD, associate professor of biological sciences in SIUE’s College of Arts and Sciences, with members of the SIUE Honey Bee Association.
