The Buzz from the Bees: They Want More Wildflowers

Pollination is a key process in both man made and natural landscapes. Without this, many ecosystems and our own agricultural systems would collapse, even in the city! To help support pollinator populations, we have been setting aside wild zones and wildflower patches to ensure that these important wildlife have enough safe space and food sources to flourish.

When we think of pollination, we probably think of bees and butterflies - but there are so many other pollinators that perform this important service! The Ateneo Wild Project has documented various species of bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, wasps, and other insects regularly visiting wildflowers on campus. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, many areas on campus have been left to grow wild and these have attracted droves of pollinators, indicating the importance of providing more wild patches, called Pollinator Pockets, within our grounds.

Coat Buttons (Tridax procumbens), one of the more common wildflowers, are favorites of our

campus pollinators like this Luzon Grass Dart (Taractrocera luzonensis)

The Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS), in partnership with The Ateneo Wild, has been working closely with the Campus Facilities and Management Office to set up these Pollinator Pockets throughout the Loyola Heights campus. These pockets are designated wild zones that will be protected from regular grass-cutting maintenance, allowing wildflowers and insects to thrive.

Many of the new Pollinator Pockets were just set up, so you might not yet see many wildflowers growing yet.

One of the Proof-of-Concept Pollinator Pockets that was set up behind the Matteo Ricci building.

With the eventual return of face-to-face classes, these pockets will serve as places of nature education, further highlighting how urban biodiversity is an important aspect of campus sustainability. At the start of the project, sponsors for each pocket helped fund educational signs that share the names of various wildflowers and pollinators you might meet in the pocket.

The Makahiya (Mimosa pudica) is well-known for its ability to close its leaves when touched, but did you know that pollinators also visit its flowers? Here's a Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla cingulata) visiting for a drink

Setting aside patches of wildflowers is an increasingly common practice being explored in other countries. One of the inspirations of the Pollinator Pocket project, Square Meters for Butterflies in Edinburgh City, United Kingdom added wildflowers patches in garden roofs to provide food and shelter for the city's insects. Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, and other large German cities, have set aside and grown wildflowers to directly support insect populations in the city. This move was met with initial resistance but, over time, residents have come to appreciate this new neighborhood attraction.

You can also do your part to support pollinators in the city! If you have a garden, try setting aside around one square meter to allow wildflowers and weeds to thrive. If you prefer choosing what flowers to grow, you can plant small native trees like Kamuning (Murraya paniculata), Mali-mali (Leea philippinensis), Tagpo (Ardisia elliptica), and Pamitoyen (Calophyllum pentapetalum). These are sure to provide more food for the pollinators in your neighborhood.

Native trees like this Mali-mali are a huge hit with pollinators! In this photo you can see bees, moths, and butterflies enjoying the nectar buffet