Save the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee
Meet The Team
Here is OUR opinion on why the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee is so important to be saved
Skylar's Opinion: WE NEED TO CARE
Katherine's Opinion: WE MUST SAVE THE RUSTY-PATCHED BUMBLE BEE
Every species deserves to be saved. If there was a species that was more deserving than any other though, it would be a species of the bumblebee, specifically the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee. Bees are without a doubt some of the most hard working creatures on this planet, our lives would be a much different place without them on the planet. Bees are responsible for pollinating one-sixth of the flowering plant species worldwide and approximately 400 different agricultural types of plants as well (Tomatoes, 2012). Bees and other pollinators and invaluable pollinating services they provide us with helped produce approximately $19 billion worth of agricultural crops in the United States alone in 2010 (Rusty-patched BumbleBee, 2011); that’s estimated to be one-third of everything we eat! To say we rely on the bees pollinating efforts would be an extreme understatement. Not only do they grow the food that we eat but they also beautify the planet immensely. Pollinating flowers and contributing to the beautification of the planet’s floral landscapes may be the bees’ simplest and least economically important actions, but it is certainly a pleasing one. By keeping the flowers pollinated the bees are able to perpetuate flower growth and provide beautiful habitats for other animals.
The bees are hands down the most important insect species to humans on the planet. They deserve a huge thanks for providing us with fruits, vegetables, honey and beautiful landscapes. So how might we be able to repay them you may ask? By doing our absolute best to protect the species and keep them flourishing amongst our gardens. But who stands in the way of the protection of this species existence? Republicans in the House and the Senate are plotting to put restrictions on the Endangered Species Act, a long-time enemy of conservatives and strong GOP supporters like oil drillers and ranchers (Garvey, 2013). They believe the ESA is ineffective and is being used to control land and regulate everything and is punishing landowners for having endangered plants and animals on their property. This is because declaring an animal as endangered or threatened usually brings restrictions on activities that could harm it. When in reality, the ESA is the strongest law protecting biodiversity passed by the nation (Garvey, 2013). The act has shown a 90% recovery rate in more than 100 species throughout the United States and has allowed the designation of millions of acres of critical habitat, which is crucial to the species’ recovery and survival. In fact, from 1973-2013, the Act has prevented extinction for 99% of species under its protection (Garvey, 2013).
The Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee is still not protected by the ESA Act because it has not yet been declared endangered because of the Republican party’s efforts to have it abolished. If we do not act fast, the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee will soon be non-existent. If we give up on the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee, we are giving up on all the other bee species that will soon need our help due to climate change and all the other species that are on the brink of extinction.
Every person who has even a little knowledge about the environment and the way the world works knows that animals are a critical part of that system. For thousands of years, we’ve worked with these creatures, but now, primarily due to human activity, there are 1,416 species in the United States ALONE on the endangered species list. Do you know what’s not on that list? The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee!! While Canada recognized the 95% decline in this bumblebee as critical endangerment in 2010 (Jepson, 2013), it is outrageous that our government has failed to give any effort towards listing this bee as endangered or providing any help to its recovery. The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee is incredibly important to its surroundings and we must do everything we can to save it!
The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee is essential to the environment in which they live because of their role as pollinators of wild flowering plants and crops. They are buzz pollinators, which is a unique pollination in which the bee grabs the pollen producing structure of the flower in her jaws and vibrates her wings causing vibrations that dislodge pollen that would have otherwise remained trapped in the flower’s anthers. The loss of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee will result not only in the loss of plants that rely on this pollination but also in the vulnerability of many native mammals, birds, and small organisms who will be required to alter their living patterns because of these changes (Colla, 2010). If we do not help this species, we will be leaving not only the bumblebee to die off on its own, but everything around it too.The worst part about the current state of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee is that they have been thrown to the side and placed on a waitlist to be admitted onto the endangered species list. There should be no such thing as a waitlist to put the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee on the endangered species list! It’s seen a 95% decline in population, 87% decline in range (Jepson, 2013), and the rest of the world has recognized its condition. That MUST be enough to get some preservation help!
A species becomes endangered because of humans, and then, even though it is in that condition, we choose to ignore it, simply put it on a list-- “Don’t worry, we’ll admit you when we have room. It’s not like every day you’re getting exponentially closer to extinction or anything. It’ll come, some day.” But no! A species is endangered when its numbers dramatically increase. And as much as the US wants to dig its way into influencing every strand of hair inside its borders, there is nothing they can do to stop the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee from decreasing in number.Therefore it is up to us, the people of the US who are aware and care about the vitality of this special bumblebee, to do everything in our power to protect them. And then we can only hope that, sometime soon, our government will do that too.