Pollinators are an important part of our ecosystem, and we need them for food production and overall plant reproduction.
The amount of pollinators has decreased dramatically in recent decades in Europe*. The Finnish city of Lahti has taken up the challenge of revitalizing pollinators with a campaign titled ‘Without Pollinators We Cannot Survive’.
By giving out seed packets, Lahti wants to encourage citizens to grow meadow plants in their yards, which would act as an important habitat and source of nutrition for pollinators. The give-aways started on World Environment Day, June 5th, at the Lahti market square.
“The packets include the seeds of Finnish meadow flowers, like white clover, yarrow and cornflower,” says Hanna Mattila, project manager of the city of Lahti’s ‘Nature-positive Life’ project. “The flowers were in part chosen because they are in bloom at different times, providing pollinators a steady source of nutrition throughout the summer months.
“With 10 000 seed packets, we could get up to 50 000 square meters, or seven full soccer fields, of meadow. This amount would provide a tremendous boost to pollinators”.
The yard of Siiri Fagerlund in Lahti’s Kilpiäinen area is buzzing with pollinators. Fagerlund and her partner wanted to make their yard not only better for themselves, but also pollinators.
“We have always dreamed about a lush, idyllic yard straight from children’s books” Fagerlund explains. When you have nature in your own backyard, it becomes a kind of oasis”.
Fagerlund started landscaping by planting chives in planter boxes. The chives were enjoyed by both the human occupants as well as bumblebees.
Now she estimates that they have around 50 different plants in their yard. Good experiences have nurtured her passion for gardening, which is why Fagerlund likes Lahti’s initiative to give out seed packets”, she said.
“This kind of meadow flower seed packet is a really good starting point. Nature is all of our shared responsibility and it’s worth it to give it a little help”.
The Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) is organizing a nation-wide pollinator weekend in Finland from June 15 to 16 where, during this time, Finns can report pollinator findings either on Syke’s website or the iNaturalist application. Lahti is also encouraging its citizens and employees to report their findings to Syke during this time.
Citizen reports are necessary to get an accurate picture of the city’s pollinator situation. Lahti’s pollinator-friendly year will have other actions as well.
The city will for example build design apartments for pollinators, install pollinator-friendly outdoor lighting and organize a ‘Night of the Pollinators’ to encourage citizens to turn off their unnecessary outdoor lighting. “We want to show how many different things cities can do to help pollinators”, Mattila says, and hopes that Lahti can act as an inspiration for other cities.
*Source: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/grassland-butterfly-index-in-europe-1
