A Master Gardener Survey: Promoting Pollinator-friendly Plants Through Education and Outreach

Abstract

<jats:p>As land-use patterns change over time, some pollinating insects continue to decline both in abundance and diversity. This is due, in part, to reductions in floral resources that provide sufficient nectar and pollen. Our overall goal is to help increase the use of plants that enhance pollinator health by providing research-based information that is easily accessible to the public. To assess the most successful mode of sharing this information, a survey was distributed to more than 4000 Master Gardener (MG) volunteers of Florida. The objectives of our survey were to gauge both knowledge and interest in common pollinators, common pollinator-friendly floral resources, and a favored means of accessing material about additional pollinator-friendly plants for landscape use. With a response rate of just over 18%, results showed that there is a clear interest among Florida MGs in learning more about pollinators and pollinator-friendly plants with face-to-face classes followed by a website as the preferred modes of accessing educational materials on this topic. Respondents on average were extremely interested in learning more about pollinator plants [mean of 4.41 out of 5.0 (<jats:sc>sd</jats:sc> = 0.89)], with greatest interest in butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), followed by bees (Hymenoptera), birds (Aves), bats (Chiroptera), and beetles (Coleoptera). Overall, MG participants felt more confident (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> &lt; 0.0001) in their knowledge of pollinator-friendly plants (mean 3.24 out of 5.0) than pollinator insects (mean 3.01 out of 5.0). When tested, 88.5% were able to correctly identify black-eyed susan (<jats:italic>Rudbeckia hirta</jats:italic>), with 70.1% correctly identifying spotted beebalm (<jats:italic>Monarda punctata</jats:italic>). Variations were observed in tested knowledge of pollinating insects, with 90.2% correctly identifying a zebra longwing (<jats:italic>Heliconius charithonia</jats:italic>) and only 32.6% correctly identifying a striped-sweat bee (<jats:italic>Agapostemon splendens</jats:italic>). These results revealed that MGs perceived themselves to be fairly knowledgeable about both pollinator plants and pollinating insects, yet their tested knowledge ranged widely depending on the actual plant and pollinator type. This suggests an emphasis be given for future MG training focused on diverse plant and pollinator species, preferably in a face-to-face environment. Results also show that additional resources regarding pollinator-friendly plants, as well as identification material on pollinating insects, are both desired and valued by our Florida MG community.</jats:p>

If You Grow It, They Will Come: Ornamental Plants Impact the Abundance and Diversity of Pollinators and Other Flower-Visiting Insects in Gardens

“…Backyard initiatives such as "No Mow May" were first popularized by Plantlife, a British conservation charity, and are gaining traction across the USA through promotion from organizations such as the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Additionally, gardening for pollinators, where ornamentals are chosen to attract pollinators and other flower-visiting insects, has also become a popular activity for many, including homeowners, Horticulturae 2022, 8, 1068 2 of 19 scout troops, libraries, and schools [17][18][19][20][21]. Indeed, there is evidence that gardens can offer substantial benefits [22] by providing foraging resources and nesting habitats that can be superior to what is available in nearby nature reserves or parks [23,24].…”

Development and Evaluation of a Web Application for Attracting Bees to Your Garden

“…Florida is home to over 300 species of native wild bees, some in critical decline [1]. While public interest in pollinator conservation and pollinator-friendly gardening has increased markedly, a survey conducted by Kalaman et al [2] revealed a knowledge gap in consumers' ability to identify diverse bee pollinators and the plants that they are attracted to. Online distance education, utilized by 56% of the college student population in the U.S. in 2022 [3], may be an efficient means of educating both student and extension audiences about plants that attract diverse bee pollinators.…”

Mapping student understanding of bees: Implications for pollinator conservation

“…Previous studies suggest that the public has a very limited awareness of this breadth or diversity of bee species (Wilson et al, 2017). Studies have investigated knowledge in a number of groups, including farmers and growers (Hanes et al, 2018; Tarakini et al, 2020), master gardeners (Kalaman et al, 2020), consumers (Khachatryan & Rihn, 2018), beekeepers (Maderson & Wynne‐Jones, 2016; Penn et al, 2019), and students (Penn et al, 2020; Schlegel et al, 2015), but find that knowledge and awareness are consistently low (e.g., Elisante et al, 2019; Penn et al, 2020; Sawe et al, 2020; Wilson et al, 2017). Furthermore, people tend to have better knowledge of honey bees than of other bee species (Hall & Martins, 2020; Kasina et al, 2009; Wilson et al, 2017), even though they are not representative of most species or of native bees in many parts of the world (Colla & MacIvor, 2017).…”

“…However, there is limited research on how best to promote such behavior (Hall & Martins, 2020; Knapp et al, 2020). Many existing studies (e.g., Bhattacharyya et al, 2017; Kalaman et al, 2020; Schönfelder & Bogner, 2018) and initiatives (Marselle et al, 2021) have focused on education as the solution to this problem, but education alone often fails to produce attitude and behavior change (Schultz, 2011; Simis et al, 2016; Sturgis & Allum, 2004). There are many reasons why someone may support or oppose a particular policy or course of action, regardless of their level of knowledge (e.g., see Knapp et al, 2020; Turo & Gardiner, 2019).…”