United We Stand


to Expand Guest Editorial


by Mark Winston


s a writer I’ve always been intrigued by new mag- azines, websites and blogs, because they express trends that are on the verge of coalescing into      outlets are vital in the transition from isolated individuals connected tenuously by a common interest to cohesive so- cial, cultural and political undertakings. 2 Million Blossoms      focus away from solely honey bees toward the diverse and intriguing sphere of wild bee and other pollinators. There currently are innumerable newsletters, magazines and digital outlets that concentrate on honey bees, not sur-


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prising given that there are millions of beekeepers around the globe. As well, honey bees continue to have substantial and measurable economic impact through the products of the hive and their role as managed crop pollinators. The human world associated with honey bees has not completely ignored other pollinators, but until recently non- Apis pollinators have been the poor cousins of the research and beekeeping communities. 2 Million Blossoms aims to change that, with its core ambition “to awaken readers to the vast diversity of pollinating insects and animals,” giving voice to a crusade that has been growing for well over a decade, since reports of honey bee colony demise raised alarms. This movement views honey bees as only one component


of a healthy and biodiverse pollination ecosystem. Many of its adherents are happy to erect an inclusive tent that wel- comes all who work towards pollinator protection, whether wild bees, honey bees or non-bee pollinators are their prima- ry interest. Others express a mild to strong antipathy to hon- ey bees, or conversely to non-managed pollinators, creating  of pollination.


All those in the pollinator movement share the common


value of conserving and hopefully expanding pollinator populations. But the movement is not unimodal; proponents differ in the backgrounds that brought them into the circle of pollinator protectors, their motivations for choosing pol- linators as their environmental line in the sand, and which pollinators they favor as their charismatic species. Some enter the pollinator sphere through the lens of ag-


riculture, recognizing the importance of pollinator diversity in creating a resilient agroecosystem. A subset of this group is pragmatic, concerned that dependence on honey bees as our primary crop pollinator is worrisome given the regular loss of 35-45% of honey bee colonies each year. Others share a deeper philosophical concern around contemporary agriculture with its vast monocropped systems and heavy de-


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