skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump attacks Liz Cheney using violent war imagery; Election insights: What 50 Ohioans want to hear from candidates; Consumer groups slam CA Supreme Court ruling on lemon law; On National Brush Day, new resources in KY to boost oral health.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Harris says her campaign is prepared for Trump to prematurely claim victory, Pennsylvania election officials say safeguards in the system are preventing vote fraud, and Montana Senate race could hinge on the "political refugee" vote.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others, rural Montanans are anxiously awaiting a court ruling over a climate lawsuit brought by young people, and Northeast states say more housing for working families could boost jobs.

Bicycle Seed-Bomb Event Launches for Butterflies and Bees

play audio
Play

Wednesday, November 4, 2015   

AUSTIN, Texas - A group of volunteers in Fort Worth is hoping a bike ride can help spark a grassroots movement to save the butterflies, bees and other pollinators that play a critical role in the nation's food chain.

Jillian Jordan, the Great Seed Bomb event's founder, said bees alone contribute more than $15 billion to U.S. crop production. She noted that there were 6 million beehives at work in 1947, but today - after a 123 percent increase in the nation's population - there are only 2.5 million hives remaining.

"We're counting on 60 percent less bees than ever before. That's a troubling fact," she said. "We're tired of watching it on the news and just being scared about it. Instead of just watching it happen, we wanted to do something about it."

This weekend, Jordan and other volunteers will make "seed bombs," a combination of native plant seeds, fertilizer and a protective shell. Jordan said each bomb can fit in the palm of your hand, making it easy to toss from your bicycle. After it rains, she said, the seeds have everything they need to blossom into plants that pollinators love but that have been missing in developed urban areas.

On Nov. 14, participants will get on their bikes and cluster-bomb parks, trails and open spaces. Jordan said the wildflowers and milkweed plants - a favorite of the monarch butterfly and its offspring - that take root and grow can provide critical nutrients for migratory insects. Jordan said 90 percent of monarchs already have disappeared, largely because of the use of herbicides such as Roundup. She said she's hopeful that creating milkweed pit stops along their flight path to Canada will help more butterflies make the trip back.

"Texas is crucial," she said. "We're the first thing that the monarchs see, coming out of Mexico. They start their journey, why not make that first stop a really strong one for them? We've got lots of trails, so why don't we utilize those to provide for the monarch?"

Great Seed Bomb proceeds will benefit local nonprofit organizations to help keep conservation efforts going. If the group's first outing is a success, Jordan said, she'll work to help other seed-bomb events sprout up across the country.

More information is online at greatseedbomb.org.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Signal Ohio found overarching issues such as climate change, reproductive rights and safety were on the minds of many Ohioans. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Election Day approaches, the online outlet Signal Ohio interviewed 50 people across Cleveland and Akron to find out what is on the minds of …


Environment

play sound

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Social Issues

play sound

Millions of Californians buy used cars still under a manufacturer's warranty - but consumer groups say those warranties are now essentially unenforcea…


Even with the rise of social media and email blasts, traditional "Get Out the Vote" rallies are seen by experts as key to helping boost participation in elections. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Political rallies and large-scale "get out the vote" events might conjure images of a packed arena in a major city but in states like North Dakota…

Environment

play sound

As North Carolina communities continue to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Helene, they have faced a new obstacle: A surge of misinformation is …

As of Oct. 31, Minnesota election offices had accepted nearly 1 million absentee ballots. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

In the final sprint toward Election Day, some Minnesotans might worry their absentee ballot won't arrive in time. Experts say there's no cause for …

Social Issues

play sound

New York's affordable housing crisis is being made worse by corporate landlords, according to groups trying to reform the system. The state …

Social Issues

play sound

By Mariah Alanskas for Kent State NewsLab.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021