Distinctly Montana Magazine

A Collection of WorldlyTreasures. BY HANNAH KREITZER M e m ontanans know that winter's stubborn grip always gives way to spring, and with the returning warmth comes a bounty of garden and wilderness that makes the long, cold months seem a just tax for such abundance. Our tongues soon will revel in the tart sting of rhubarb from backyard gardens, cherries from Flathead Valley orchards, plums from neighborhood trees, and sweet, dark huckleberries in the Swan Valley, just as our eyes find a comparable feast in the jubilant sprawl of wildflowers. The reliable building blocks of biology—sun, water, and air—lay the groundwork for this proliferation of growth, but it's also thanks to pollinators that plants are able to thrive. The creatures that do this vital work of sustaining life on Earth include bees, birds, insects, and bats. Given the vital nature of pollinator activity, it's been an alarming realization in recent years that many of these critical species have begun to dwindle, or even disappear. Over the past two decades, more than half the managed honeybee col- onies in this country alone have been lost. There are dozens of theories that seek to explain this phenomenon, including pesticide use, invasive species, habitat loss, parasites and disease, but the bottom line is that it's hard to name a concrete reason for why pollinators are so much at risk. What we do understand is that without pollinators, life on earth would be much less fruitful. So, how to go about solving a problem with no clear explana- tion? One answer is ground—level and pragmatic: start by foster- ing pollinator habitats, building and tending gardens that are rich in the plants that these species favor. Another option that may exist in conjunction with these efforts is to increase collabora- tion between local communities, scientists, and conservation groups. Here in Montana, a local nonprofit called The Tributary Fund is seeking to do exactly that, by recognizing the indelible ties between culture, community, and the natural world. www.distinctlymontana.com DARI RASA TRUNK SHOW 132 E Main Street Bozeman, Montana 406-582-0166 www.darirasa.com 27 f r h o b m o b o n z a t u t a n

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