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Editorial: Give bees, turtles and butterflies a helping hand

Blanding's turtles, honey bees and monarch butterflies need our help.

They are species with once abundant populations that have been thinned by many years of pesticide use, loss of habitat, poaching and other factors.

True, they're not the first species to face such threats in nature and sadly they won't be the last. In fact, check the World Wildlife Fund's list of endangered species and you'll find animals in far worse shape, including many facing extinction.

But extinction shouldn't be the endgame criteria for humans to lend a hand, especially when it comes to critters living in our backyards.

What makes honey bees, butterflies and turtles stand out to us in the suburbs is that they inhabit our neighborhoods and the parks and forest preserves we visit, and they play important roles in our lives beyond their beauty - important enough for individuals and communities to take some easy, low-cost steps to help strengthen and grow their numbers.

Honey bees do more than produce honey. The bees and, to a lesser extent, monarch butterflies, as our Eric Peterson reported last week, are critical to our agriculture system as pollinators. Bees, in particular, pollinate crops including apples, blueberries, cucumbers, pumpkins and raspberries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says "about one mouthful in three" comes directly or indirectly from honey bee pollination.

Experts say Blanding's turtles are part of the natural history of the Chicago region and are a good "umbrella" species, meaning they are symbolic of the threats faced by other species.

How can you help?

Homeowners can plant milkweed, the only plant that interests the orange-and-black monarch butterflies because it's the only one on which they'll lay their eggs. The plant has fallen prey to pesticides and efforts to have a more manicured look for lawns and gardens. Restoring milkweed is the key to rehabilitating the monarch population.

You can be part of efforts under way, including Brookfield Zoo's plan to create a "pollinator corridor" for migrating monarchs along Interstate 55 to the St. Louis Zoo and including the cooperation of 24 library districts.

Communities can consider allowing beekeeping operations. One option is to create ordinances supporting backyard beekeepers that don't adversely infringe on neighbors. Unincorporated Lake County and West Dundee are a couple of areas with successful regulations in place, and Bartlett and Naperville are now tackling the issue.

Another option is to set up community bee gardens, such as those in Schaumburg and Hanover Park, where beekeepers can tend to their hives in a designated location.

Sometimes, it's simply a matter of writing a check. For $120, you can join the Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves' new Adopt-a-Turtle initiative to protect and grow the endangered Blanding's turtle population.

wOrganizers said the effort is needed because data shows few hatchlings make it through a full year and adults survival is below the level needed to sustain a long-term population. They hope to raise $12,000 by Sept. 1 for a recovery program that aims to help the reptile's population replenish itself naturally.

Plants to attract butterflies, new hives where bees can work and a few bucks for young turtles survive. Think of it as a little effort to give nature a big helping hand.

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