This weekend, Audubon Insectarium celebrates some of the smallest animals on the planet that make the biggest impact on our daily lives. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds play critical roles in our environment’s health by pollinating crops, flowers, and forests. This Saturday, they will be the focus of Pollination Celebration at Audubon Insectarium. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Part of the Party for the Planet sponsored by Entergy: Pollination Celebration features ways for guests to learn about pollinators, how to attract them, and what we can do to take care of them so they will continue doing their jobs for our environment. The beautiful flower-themed costumes of the Krewe des Fleurs will also be part of the celebration as krewe members stroll through the Insectarium!
Pollinator species pollinate over 90% of the planet's flowering plants and one third of the human diet. While many people think of bees as the only pollinators, beetles, butterflies, birds, bats, and other small mammals are also in this category. Pollinators can be very diverse, but the prevalence of many populations is declining due to habitat loss from urban development, pollution, chemical misuse, and climate change. With these threats, pollinators are losing the food and nesting sites they need to survive.
The event is free and open to the public and includes participation from community partners to educate guests about conservation efforts underway in our community:
· Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge
· Crown Community Garden
· Energy Smart
· Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
· Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans
· The Water Institute
Support for Pollination Celebration and other events in the Party for the Planet conservation series comes from Entergy’s Environmental Initiatives Fund, which directs $1 million annually to environmental improvement projects.
A visit to an Audubon Nature Institute attraction is a first step in taking positive action to learn about and protect the environment. Audubon joins many other Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos and aquariums across North America in throwing a Party for the Planet, making it the largest combined Earth Day, Endangered Species Day, and World Oceans Day celebration. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums spend $230 million on field conservation alone, supporting projects benefiting more than 800 species in 130 countries. To date, the AZA Conservation Grants Fund has provided $7.7 million in support for 400+ projects worldwide.
