NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s National Pollinator Week and multiple Tennessee agencies are partnering up to promote pollinator health and awareness.
Pollinators include birds, bees, butterflies, bats and beetles that pollinate about a third of the food we eat. Their numbers have steadily declined over the last few years, so the Tennessee Departments of Transportation, Agriculture and Environment and Conservation are making plans to plant pollinator meadows in nine state parks.
“This partnership is a response to the serious threat to pollinators, and how we as state agencies can work together to create an impactful program,” TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright said.
Seven Islands State Birding Park in Knox County, Sycamore Shoals State Park in Carter County and Warriors’ Path State Park in Sullivan County are three of the nine parks that will feature the pollinator meadows and signage explaining the initiative.
TDEC commissioner David Salyers said he is looking forward to the meadows’ impacts.
“Supporting pollinators is important to the state’s environmental and agricultural health,” Salyers said. “These meadows will offer many benefits to our state parks.”
TDOT said it expects the meadows to be planted in the spring of 2020. The department is also reviewing its current herbicides and landscaping policies to be more pollinator-friendly.