ACD recognizes young writers at annual meeting

Sixth grade student writers from the Washtucna School District submitted their literary works to the Adams Conservation District’s annual essay contest. The students were given information about pollinators and asked to describe ways pollinator habitats could be improved.

The Conservation District board of supervisors reviewed and graded the essays during their board meeting on Jan. 19.

The winning entrants were recognized during their 18th annual WSU Extension Research in Dryland Cropping Areas and Adams Conservation District meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the C.J. Newland American Legion Memorial Hall.

The three students who participated received first, second and third place awards for their papers.

The winning essays are printed in full to share the what the students learned about conservation.

By Wyatt Gordon - Washtucna, First Place

There are many ways to improve pollinator habitats. Pollination is transfering pollen from the male part of a plant to the female part of a plant which is allowing fertilization and reproduction.

In this paper I will be discussing animal pollinators, how to improve your pollinator habitat, and methods to help pollinators survive.

The pollinators in Adams County are mostly birds, bats, and insects. These pollinators need big splotches of color to attract them. Some of their favorite colors are purple, yellow, and white.

Plants that are native to Adams County such as hairy vetch and sunflowers are these colors. This helps not only flowers reproduce but fruit and nut trees, vegetables in gardens, and increase production of the seeds and fruits.

The insects seem to be the ones we notice most. The pollen from one flower lodges on the body and legs of a bee and is transfered to other plants.

One way to improve your pollinator habitat is to spray pesticide chemicals sparingly in the early morning or late evening. When you spray chemical you don’t want to use systematics.

This kind of chemical will be absorbed in the plant and the insect on the plant will die if it drinks the plant’s sap. Chemicals help to control unwanted insects but using chemical sparingly is important.

One way you can help pollinators survive is supplying a home. You can plant native plants in your garden with bright colors. Having bright colors attracts more pollinators. You should always have different heights in flowers. In the flowers you should cater to every insect with different dimensions.

You should try to avoid using mulch. You want to avoid mulch because seventy percent of pollinators dig a nest in the ground to raise their offspring and if mulch is there, they can’t make a nest. Leaving the soil loose promotes insect habitats.

Forty percent of our food comes from plants that are pollinated. If we didn’t have pollinators we could experience a famine.

The numbers of the bees is dropping. If we start taking our pollinators into consideration we could have a better pollinator population.

By Lexy Hamilton - Washtucna, Second Place

In the United States over 100 crop plants depend on pollinators which are insects, bats, and some birds. Pollinator habitats need to be improved so that crops and all plants are pollinated.

Three things people need to do to improve pollinator habitats are limit pesticide use, provide ground nesting, and have a water source to improve pollinator habitats.

To help pollinators survive people should limit and avoid systemic pesticide when plants are in bloom. Also if they use pesticide they should spray in the morning or the evening when pollinators are less active.

Humans need to control pest by spraying unwanted insects, but since 40 percent of food that is produced requires pollination. Adams County has many of these types of crops which could include potatoes, beans, peas, and tree fruit.

Next insects pollinate plants too so help by providing ground nesting areas or any type of nesting around your flower or vegetable garden.

Be careful not to build a nest close enough for someone to step in! Other nesting you could use is box nesting or drill holes in old stumps so, insects and feel safe, reproduce and if it is honeybee, maybe construct a hive.

A water source is very important to pollinators. A bird bath is a good example of a water source or a small pond will work. The bird bath should be shallow enough for the animal or insect to get a drink but not drown.

You could add sticks, pebbles, and/or rock to prevent the animal or insect of drowning.

Over all, people should limit pesticide, use ground nesting, and provide a water source. These ideas will help pollinators survive and increase the size of their population in following years to come.

By Cooper Jessop - Washtucna, Third Place

Did you know that 100 crops depend on pollinators?

Some of those plants are in danger of becoming extinct. Pollination is the move of pollen from the male part of the plant to the female part of the plant.

I would like to focus on the following three topics concerning pollinators. These are how to provide a good habitat for pollinators, diversity in planting flowering plants, and how pollinators help mankind.

Good habitats that provide lots of color can help pollinators stay in your garden. Pollinators provide pollination for plants that humans and other animals depend on for food.

How you can provide a good habitat for pollinators is: you can put up bird houses, put bird baths up in your yard, and hang bat houses.

You should have shallow water in the bird bath so the bird or insect doesn’t drown.

If you do have deep water, you should put a rock or small log in so the bird or other pollinator can stand on so it can get a drink without falling in to the water.

Bat houses need to be set where it is dark at night, but not too dark. If you want to put a bird house up in a tree don’t put it to high so you can’t take care of it. I would recommend having a bird house, or a bird bath, or a bat house.

Having diversity in gardens with colorful plants along with night blooming plants will attract pollinators. One way to have diversity in your garden is find an old tire fill it with dirt and then plant flowers.

You can make a brick flowerbed. Diversity is important to your garden and colors such as yellow, white, or purple attracts pollinators. You can also design your garden better with diversity.

Forty percent of our food, that we eat depend upon pollinators pollinating fruits and vegetables.

We owe a lot to the pollinators for pollinating food we can eat and we can repay them by providing water, shelter, and not over spraying because the number of helpful pollinators is decreasing.

We need to be aware of the pollinators not just in Adams County, but all over the world.