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"If a nature themed license plate is capable of making a person upset, then I wonder about that person's relationship with meaningful challenges in life." This sums up perhaps the most important point in this controversy.
When you don't have any real problems and start making up problems to be mad about. By the way, aren't most (or at least a large portion) of the plants in North America non-native?
Eh, I mean I agree, it's something that if anyone else made a video about I wouldn't have even looked twice. But, I do feel like it was a strange thing for him to say...if he's going to meaningfully address the issue and make a whole video about it, why minimize the problem or the emotions of those who care about it. Idk it was a weird ad hominem type comment that was strange coming from such a generally positive person.
You do a ridiculously good job of explaining this issue. As we both know, there are many people these days now who thrive on finding fault with just about anything.
Yes, people running around looking for something to be upset about. We maybe don’t have enough true challenges going on these days. In my view, if people don’t have enough challenge then there’s many many real causes they could take up that could help the environment, pollinators and even native species. You know…..get out there and do some real work for the environment instead of behind a keyboard getting people all upset about something 😊
Home run Adam, very thoughtful, thorough & nice job. Congrats Pa. for a great fundraising concept for pollinators. Not upset...no complaints...from Wisconsin!
I think the Purple Coneflower is a good choice for the plate because it’s a species that many people cultivate in the state and recognize as a plant that supports pollinators. It’s almost like an emblem of conservation and restoration projects - not naturally occurring but indicating a human desire to support the ecosystem. Its structure also makes it easy to ID from far away. Thanks for this video Adam!
As a Pennsylvania resident, i can say with certainty our native ecosystem is irreparably ruined by the introduction of outside species, even in the most rural parts of the state, like where i live there is a mix of hundreds of non native species living among natives. These people are upset about the wrong problem.
I agree. It is also recognizable from a graphic design point of view due to its color. Also, it’s pretty. Having an obscure, less recognizable plant on the license plate would make people less excited about actually spending money on supporting the issue.
I was insulted because I DO care about native plants and animals and the message a State sends to people. Not long ago a lawn chemical company removed images of Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars from the implied insects that should be killed on the toxin's packaging. Because it broadcasts the wrong concept.
Thank you for a reasoned and thoughtful video. I'm from Harrison county in Ohio, just one county south, and we have purple coneflower in our fields. I don't know how these surveys are conducted, but I have the feeling that people are taking them as absolute, rather than a single data point when they are discussing native v. non-native species. I also believe a better discussion is invasive v. non-invasive.
Yay, PA for making a pollinator plate! 🌸🐝🦋 Thank you, Adam, for such a well reasoned, thoughtful, thoroughly researched presentation on the topic. I learned some things. Appreciate your work!
Great video! I allow all my plants to go to flower and seed and I let my yard pretty much run wild only mowing the grass a couple of times a year, and I have found many species of bees flock to my yard. Picture a world where everybody planted fruit trees instead of grass. Now that would be fun. 😅
Thank you! I tried a wild yard, but invasives took over. Then I removed all grass manually, it wasn't native and I don't need to own a lawnmower. I'm in New Hampshire. I have many Sweat Bees because they can overwinter under the moss in my yard, which is thermogenic. I have a Wild Black Cherry that feeds lots of animals, especially Variable Hares and slugs.
The level of detail and patience you expressed to explain what is obvious to those with sufficient common sense was . . . commendable. I plant for pollinators in my garden, and I am sure some things are not at all native to NEPA. Like oregano. My huge flowering oregano is attracting 40 bees and pollinators of all kinds - all at the same time - all day. It deserves a license plate!
I love that license plate😊💖💖 Thank you for the detailed information😊 I believe that these days, many people are simply unhappy & discontented, and look for reasons to argue & complain, to interfere with other people's happiness. 💔 If you don't like the plate, then don't purchase it, & don't interfere with other people's personal choice to purchase it--it's that simple.
I appreciate your common sense approach to this silly "issue". -- and all your excellent nature videos. And you are absolutely right about the honey bee, too. Keep up the good work, from an 80-plus year old naturalist from New England.
Beautifully put, Adam! Love the broad mindedness and bigger picture of this that you painted here. All my relatives from both sides are from PA, solid German stock so to speak... Sounds like a typical discussion/debate in any family gathering of mine - very opinionated and convinced they're right on any side of an issue without considering all of the ways one could look at it. As an herbalist, I say, just make amazing medicine from echinacea purpurea, support your pollinators, and chill out!
Adam gets to the point without hemming and hawing. Adam may rehearse his remarks, but that saves time both in his getting his message across and in our understanding what he wants to say, so your attention does not wander. Good presentation, Adam! Even if you rehearse, it is well worth doing.
Thank you again, Adam! Great information and I don't know how I feel about this topic. I want to laugh...but I am also grateful that it came up because your response is amazing!
Interesting thoughts. As you said, Pollination is the idea of the plate and to produce funds to help with such. It brought awareness, these people could have used that energy to complain to increase awareness about the multiple ways they could help the environment. As a Buckeye State resident, I could get into lots of conversation about the Canada Goose and my area of Ohio. 😊. Gotta love where you live, wherever that is!
🏵🌼🏵 Definitely NOT something to be upset over ... Thank You, Ever-So-Much; for Your hard work and sharing ALL of this knowledge ... ❤ Some folks just aren't happy unless, their panties are in a bunch .. Buncha 🌼 Whack-a-Moles ...🌼
One could also posit that the bee is one of the 4,000 bee species native to North America rather than the European honeybee. Thankyou once again for a level-headed discussion. It made me look to see if my state (WI) has a pollinator plate. We do not yet.
I popped in here just to point that out! Funny how you never hear anyone having a hissy-fit because honeybees are Not Native! D'you suppose that might be because without them, another non-native species - known as homo sapiens - would teeter dangerously near extirpation on this continent, too. (But would that really be such a bad thing?)
@@maggiepfobThe modern literature is wrong. A fossil of Apis Mellifera was recently found in a dry lake bed in North America and there are many Spanish reports of large quantities bees wax being traded for European merchandise when America was first Landes by Spain. The bees were Apis Mellifera Mellifera. (The black bee). The Apis Mellifera Lingustica (The Italian Bee) wasn't introduced until 1857 but both are honeybees. The Italian Bee has taken the place of the Black Bee because beekeepers prefer it.
@@maggiepfobI also think it's rather ironic that the most destructive invasive species on the planet -- homo "sapiens" (should be homo destructo) -- has the nerve to call any other species "invasive"...just sayin'.🙄 I think Adam did a great job with his video, as always.
Wow, a little life lesson with this one. That comment about getting upset and how you deal with real life's problems is so real and had me reflect a little. Thanks. Won't be sweating the small stuff.
As a person that sweated the small stuff for years, this is a refreshing comment to read! Your humility is inspiring. You will learn that you benefit greatly by putting everything in proper context. But it can be a tough skill to acquire in this day & age when sensationalism is everywhere, and people are judged by how angry they get as a barometer to how much they 'care'! All the best to you!
This is a different and very enjoyable video, Adam. You have a way of completely explaining an issue, with lots of relevant and in this case, opinionated in a good way, information. It was amusing and also the videography was quite beautiful.
"Into the wild". If everyone only would remember the true power of plants. Love you brother. I'll never forget the few moments spent with you on a few occasions all those years ago. I knew you were special and sacred in this journey from the moment we met! Much love and gratitude always, dear brother! 💞🌿🤗
First off, EXCELLENT presentation, and I concur completely; your initial 'wondering' about how people would handle truly important issues was very apt. Secondly, the knee-jerk default setting over the past few decades for an increasingly large number of humans seems to be 'focus on the minutiae, not the intended scope of the message, so that we can derail anything and everything.' As has been said, common sense isn't at all 'common' anymore.
Lots of good information using great analytical skills. Thank you for reminding us to think outside the box even when it comes to nature. Excellent point about the honeybees. Most of our biases can be softened or even removed with just a bit of education. Thank you.
In Toronto, we sometimes hear similar picky concerns about native vs non-native. Surrounded by cement as we often are, I am usually just relieved to see plants...even a vacant lot that gets overgrown is a thing of beauty. I feel the honeybee was a worse choice as we have so many native bees that people don't seem to even realize exist. (apparently about 300 just in the general area of our city, a few thousand across the continent.) Now, I am a member of a beekeeping collective that we started about 20 years ago as a part of our ever expanding urban agriculture programs and I love all the bees...heck I also love wasps but that is another story...and I do think that more public education is needed around how to live comfortably with insects in general. I figure that seeds get spread by animals, whether pooped or vomited or just stuck in their feathers or fur and if those seeds can travel a few miles via a native animal, that should be perfectly acceptable. Thanks for your very excellent series which I watch regularly and which I consider relevent all the way to Ontario.
I live in WI so I shouldn't comment on the license plate but I can agree with another's comment. Thank you for turning this into a learning opportunity. I guess that is saying I agree that if this helps our pollinators, it's a non-issue. Very nice reminder about the honey bees, I'd almost forgotten. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and educating those of us with an interest in learning about the land, it's beauty and bounty.
Of course you should comment. Your Bill of Rights says your opinion matters. Political boundaries are a huge part of why humanity is so disconnected from one another, when reality dictates we're all pretty much the same under our cultural skins.
@@anthimatter I think he intended to be polite & respectful since its another states issue, and not his state's issue. You said nothing I disagree with, but just wanted to mention what it appears his intentions were.
As a former resident of PA, you have my persona permission to comment if you want! I have been gone for awhile, and i still comment on things from my old home state. Besides, this silliness is not hemmed in by boundaries. maybe it happens in Wisconsin next, or Minnesota or even my state (the least shocking thing ever)! LOL We appreciate your insight & comments.
Someone will always find anything to complain about, they use the word invasive and not native to areas. I'm in SE, Pennsylvania and I think the license plate looks fine. If you think about it, somewhere along the line we are not native to Pennsylvania either.
You are right. Even native Americans are from Mongolia and were endemic to Siberia. Native and Invasive are just someone's rude opinion of where they draw their line. Endemic lifeforms are never native scientifically and certainly not invasive as it just a rude opinionated insult. That theory has been debunked !
All I can say is, I have numerous berry bushes cropping up that I didn't plant. #BirdsPoop Always appreciating your knowledge as well as your pragmatism. #Grateful
@@brianhillis3701 Yes! All of them, Prairie Rose included and a good number of them. Got poisoned by poison sumac for the first time last month. It previously didn't bother me but it got a little intense tearing it and some ivy down. I feel you.😆
I love your description of people who get very upset over a license plate image. It can be a positive thought however that people are concerned about local advocacy and wish it to be accurate.👍🏻
Being passionate about nature is about productive solutions not worried about mediocre nonsense. Why not be concerned about some of these giant corporations creating toxics which have a detrimental affect on our environment. Just go out and keep your green spaces free of trash? Or just learn and spread positive awareness. I'm just a concerned citizen that s all.I appreciate your channel thank you. 👍
Good for you that you are the one who gets to decide what being passionate about nature is all about, and what constitutes "mediocre nonsense." Be sure to tell that to your professor if you ever take a botany class, LOL.
I learned to stop listening to the people that often complain the loudest about the environment who also use more than 10 different hair products and consume roughly 80% of the disposable goods sold in most western countries.
@@badlaamaurukehu They seem to have undue sway with politicians and the local power brokers, though. I generally agree with you, but they sure can be a menace when they put their minds to it!
We find your channel extremely interesting and enjoy watching all your videos! You do a great job presenting valuable information on plant species and their benefits to us. Keep it coming!
Always someone wanting to pee in everyones bowl of cereal. It's a program to benefit the states natural habitat and people getting upset over a picture. I think you're spot on in saying maybe they might have a bigger issue if that's what they have trouble getting over. Great info as always. PS i'd love to see you share links whenever you reference a website or database if possible.
OK, so I was going to note that people need to lighten up about a lot of issues. I was also going to mention the honey bee. Thankfully Adam was on top of it. Thanks again Adam for all you do! You rock in so many ways!
@@jjlepepe5875But its easier said than done, unfortunately! In my local area, we had these types hiring for a school superintendent position. The best candidate was a graduate from the school, and had a tremendous resume and could have made better money in a bigger school district, but decided to 'come home' in his letter, he addressed the board in a less formal way than a couple women preferred and that was there sole reason for not hiring him! it went national news, and was a total embarrassment! The rumor is the ladies who did this are up for re-election and will not keep their jobs again (we can only hope)! i know this has nothing to do with nature, but the same mindset that created our firestorm, also makes this non-issue an issue. Thanks for listening!
But until recently pollinators were seen as a small and mundane issue. The people who care about supporting the native insects are the people who care about native plants.
I think you are spot on, Adam. I have a lot of family history in Pennsylvania, though I am not a resident myself. That being said, I like the way the license plate looks and I believe it needs to stay the way it is. I am fairly certain, that Purple Cornflower - purpurea grew native in Pennsylvania - possibly as little as 200 years ago. Right after watching this video, I did a search and what I found was an article, posted online, in May 2021, by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, which is in northwestern Philadelphia. The article is called "Reviving the Prairies of Philadelphia". While they don't actually state this flower as being a native to Pennsylvania, they do mention this flower 'specifically', as well as one other. The article very strongly hints that the Purple Coneflower - purpurea is a Pennsylvania native. Anyway, I thought you might be interested in the article. I found it interesting and you might be able to find more substantial information, to support this beautiful flower's native-ness. I would post the actual link, but don't want to get either of us in hot water with TH-cam. We all know how they can be, lol. You can however, find their website at - schyulkillcenter. org. You could probably even call/visit them and get the lowdown on their project and its progress. By the way, you're not really off topic. The license plate was created to help nature and you are just discussing the controversy surrounding it. It's a good video and, in my opinion, those people who are complaining, need to find constructive hobbies to focus on, instead of trying to stomp on efforts to help nature. Best wishes and thanks for the knowledge you share with us. 🌱
I'm sure you understand these types like I do. They dont 'intend' to stomp on efforts. they are simply the foremost experts (in their minds) on the correct way to do everything. They are purists; there is only ONE right way, in their minds, and only they know that right way!
I think the program is amazing and I didn't think twice about the flower used on the plate. I saw the all the new plates posted on the Pa sub Reddit and cheered this specific plate as my particular favorite but there are of course many other good specialty plates in mix too if people want to choose one of the other programs or designs that would also help our great state 💙
I don't think the discussion about climate change has ever asserted that any change at all was bad...only that human activity is accelerating the rate of change to dangerous levels. That being said, there's plenty of other things that are natural that can be harmful or even disastrous when encountered out of proportion: water is natural and even essential, but nobody uses this to downplay the impact of flooding or drowning, poop is natural but I bet you still call your plumber when it's backing up in your home...even invasive species are natural...it's their location that makes them a problem. It doesn't even always have to be problematic amounts or locations to make "natural = not a problem" a bad argument. Poison Ivy and mosquitoes are completely natural...doesn't mean that they're harmless or not worth efforts to mitigate their impact!
As long as the non-native plant or insect is not considered invasive, I think it's fine to put them on the PA license plate. During the 1800's several of Pennsylvania's native trees, plants and wildlife were harvested almost to the point of extinction. With better sustainable practices and stewardship, Pennsylvania's Forests are making a come back, but look a bit different today then in the past. That's part of the evolutionary process. Any species that works with the local ecosystem is welcome in my book!
If you've been to NE Pa recently, you'll know that LNG fracking is decimating Pa forests. The expansion is massive, 98% unregulated & cleverly hidden from main roads. Our individual efforts are more important than ever
Very true. I see Caragana Arborescens all over the forests in my city and it is a tragic sight because they destroy the soil and poison native species while outcompeting them
I LOVE and Appreciate your putting this issue into a broader learning perspective, I think its Ridiculous that uninformed people get so upset over such a trivial thing.. folks should understand that the Entire earth IS a Living being and there are SO Many cycles and changes that take place over Time.. I firmly believe that this Species of flower More than Likely Was Native to PA at some point in time and Very Well May just make its way back there on its own at another point in time anyway.. I say Support the pollinators in any way possible 🥰
It would helpful to set a fund (apart from the plates) to support pollinators habitat so people can deposit as much money as they are angry and even make a contest who is the angriest according to their $upport :)
Good for you Adam. My wife has a garden full of purple cone flowers. We have many, many pollinators. Just outside of Baltimore and not too far from DC that can’t be bad!
I see purple cone flowers all along the G.A.P. bike trail, saw them yesterday up near Rockwood, always looking to identify edible foods and flowers along the trail. You taught me well, Adam. "I think some people need to get a life".
Thank you Adam for your knowledge, your patience, your research and sharing your wonderful education. I agree with you 100%. It really angers me that so many people really don't know what they're talkin about never did research and want to call every single thing not native and invasive just for the sake of arguing. those are two words I refuse to listen to. I have never seen a plant become invasive I have only seen them grow in abundance but I have never seen them take out the ecology that grows around them.. whether native or non-native I believe all plants and species are beneficial to the ecosystem. And therefore belongs in the world I live in. ❤
"If a nature-themed license plate has capability to make somebody upset, I wonder about that person's relationship with meaningful challenges in life." SOMEBODY CALL THE BURN WARD HOLY CRAP THAT WAS A HOT ROAST!
Some people just need something to be upset about. I'm not from Pennsylvania but it seems like a noble cause to me. Today I learned honey bees aren't native 😮 Thanks for the interesting video, keep up the great work.
It' not a honeybee! at 2:24 you can read the description that says it is a green sweat bee. There are multiple genera and species that have that common name.
Just a note: If you want to help pollinators, plant a tulip poplar tree. Each individual blossom produces so much nectar that a honey bee can fill up their belly from one flower rather than visit a few hundred before heading back to the hive. Beekeepers rely on this tree for the majority of their honey harvest.
Honey bees are not the only kind if bees. There are many types of insects that rely on many species of plants, they must not be forgotten. As always, diversity is key
Doesn't that mean that the bee's are visiting less plants and thus pollinating less? Makes sense for a honey farm but I don't understand why that is preferable in the wild.
I live in PA. Didn't know about the Car Plate, so thanks. I love the video. A beautiful flower from the Land we call America, with a beautiful Butterfly and a wonderful Honey Bee! The Power of Pollination!
From PA and hadn’t heard about this yet. I’ve been spending more time recently mulling over the native v nonnative arguments. Thanks for breaking this down so concisely!
You are absolutely right. This is what I think. And I think that some people don’t have enough problems in their life to worry about so they make it a big issue about a license plate. How silly!
Dang! You did your research. Well done! People have become more concerned about invasive species, which seems to be the flip-side to native species. That being said, license plates are state issued and therefore should have the state flower represented and a firefly. A cone flower would be acceptable if it appeared as a nature organization's logo. This is just my opinion of course. 😊(I adore the purple coneflower!)
Well done! Flowers can also migrate on their own. But there will always be people looking to pick a fight or complain. Thanks for taking a grounded take on the topic.
I understand the dilemma. It is good to discuss various facets of the subject so people will have a deeper understanding. I have a wildflower habitat garden. Echinacea is very useful, and not an invasive. I'd like to see old industrial lands reclaimed for habitat and wild flowers. Natives are the best, but one can learn a history lesson by researching any wild plant. Thank you!
I never once wondered if purple cone flowers were native to Missouri. They are like the orange lily-shaped flowers the grow in ditches and other odd places, they are just what I grew up with. I lump them in with Queen Anne's Lace and May Apple plants as part of living in rural Missouri. Now I wonder how wrong I was for decades... Oh, and I am not native to Missouri, I was born in California...
Great job!!!! Great learning opportunity, I am learning to tolerate non-natives that are NOT invasives and benefit native fauna and play nice with the native flora. Very complex subject but you broke it down well and gave us food for thought.
Great job and your reasoning applies to other arguments as well- like aquifers - they know no boundaries either. It never ceases to amaze me about what some people will get all worked up over and this is a prime example.
Good presentation of facts. Seems like a lot of people just WANT to be upset or offended. My perspective is: in the scheme of life, does it make a meaningful difference.... for Heaven's sake it's a license plate, it's purpose is about pollinators, not what you grow for their benefit.
Planting flowers for insects that are being destroyed by insecticides & herbicides avoids the elephant in the room which is the use of these highly poisonous chemicals on today's farms. Our county roads were always dependable places for milkweed to grow but now they are devoid of vegetation due to the use of herbicides & mowing. If produce in the grocery store has the tiniest blemish it tossed out.
Herbicide has already caused as much harm as DDT! It is killing ocean phytoplankton plants and creating our ocean DEAD ZONES. It needs to be banned. They cover up and hide the damage. Here is a channel showing what herbicide is doing to Florida th-cam.com/video/VAWGp7U2r7A/w-d-xo.html
Upset (triggered) or setup? No noone can make us feel anything. 💯 A trigger is a message to you, noone else. Learning or unlearning. ❤ Thank you for your energy!
I live just south of PA, in Maryland. We have a very small backyard but decided we would use that space for a pollinator garden. One of the first flowers we planted was purple coneflowers. The bees and butterflies love them and thats all that matters!🌼🌻🌷🌺🌸
You went above and beyond to explain this. Well done! As an artist myself I think visually the pic was done with complimentary colors and placement of the objects get the eye to focus towards the pollinator habit phrase. People should do research before they complain about something they don't have enough knowledge about.
I really appreciate your perspective. It is my belief that things like this teach us a lot about humans as well as the places in which we live. Personally, if we want to have clear communications that teach science, ecology, and about pollinators: we should teach specific storied interactions that everyday folks can see and from which be inspired. Whatever that is. Should they have picked another flower/pollinator relationship that resonates with folks in PA because it is currently extant and endemic? That would be my choice, perhaps Kalmia latifolia and its pollinators. Anything that tells a story, fires imagination and curiosity, and starts a conversation in terms of science literacy. I think you have done so, regardless of the plate's current content. Cheers.
The Monarch Butterfly migrates to Mexico for the winter. When we used to raise and tag them we released them from near Traverse City, MI, and they would fly 1329 miles to El Rosario, Mexico. The license plate is beautiful, and pollinators love the purple cone flower. Good show, Thanks!!
Thanks for the great video Adam! The topic of native range is really interesting. A few weeks ago I was looking for an ID on a tree that I thought was Magnolia macrophylla, big leaf magnolia. I posted on a Facebook group and someone insisted it couldn't be macrophylla because I was about 50 miles from it's closest "native range" . Having now identified that tree in a different spot that was within its range, I can say it definitely was macrophylla.
As a rule, I always try to listen and think before labeling another's opinions silly or pointless. The fact is, invasive species pose real challenges in many places and for many ecosystems. The thoughts expressed in this video are informed, well considered and seem to me a fine example of working through this issue with respect and understanding. Well done.
This is a great video. Thank you for making this. I had no idea that native v. non-native was even an argument. I figured most people did what they wanted on their property. This is a great resource for people like me who have never even heard of BONAP.
Is this the kind of 'awareness' you really want though? Arent you concerned that people who are causal observers (most people) will find that people embroiled in this are emotionally unstable? Not ALL press is good press. If i didnt already have an interest, its these types of stories that would keep me away. I tried to get involved with the environmental movement in the 1990's and met WAY too many people like this (Sierra Club). I still have emotional scars, and avoid rabid environmentalists like plague victims.
People sometimes hide their unresolved , tribalistic , insecure feelings about "foreigners" and "outsiders" in their midsts by talking about Plants instead of what they are really bothered about... Other People. Who Are Different From Them. Supposedly. LOL. Excellent video, thank you!!! The terrain is always changing. It is up to us to make sure those changes Vibe Right with Mother Nature.
Thank you! I have purple coneflowers. They are one of the most visited flowers in my yard. I have many native species as well. The point is that the purple coneflower attracts a wide array of pollinators. Swallowtails, monarchs, fritillaries, coppers, skippers, hummingbird moths, beetles, metallic bees, etc. That is the point of this program and it works. I also plant butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) instead of butterfly bush as well. Insects love it and being a milkweed, monarch’s thrive on it.
Great video! As Rosanna Rosannadanna's grandma always says, "It's always something!" 😂🤣 *A shout out to Gilda Radnor's character on the original Saturday Night Live! show.
I certainly have my issues with governments and bureaucracies but this positive step by Harrisburg should not be criticized but rather applauded and appreciated. In this case the intent to raise funds and awareness about a serious environmental issue outweighs whether it is technically correct in its presentation. I would ask that we all look at the positive big picture (Aiding Pollinators plight) of this program. When the minor concern(s) were dissected by Adam in such a logical and professional manner, the dispute becomes debatable and inconsequential. Thank you Adam. Hopefully the program will be very successful.
Well said, Adam. Much as I love the hoop-skirted flowers of the mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, may I point out to those who are backing the use of PA's state flower that it is toxic, as is the honey made by bees who frequent it. It would thus be totally (you might even say 'wildly') inappropriate for this campaign. I vote to call the image E. laevigata and be done with it.
Honeybees cannot make toxic honey. The foraging worker bees would die before bringing the nectar home and the house bees would die manufacturing it. A lot of what they write is untrue. Many plants they write are toxic to bees are not . They write that buckeye is toxic. My bees love buckeye and its healthy for them.
There is controversy in Southern Ontario as to whether or not Purple Coneflower was ever native here. I think it would have been better for the license plate to have a native flower instead, and a native bee. There seems to be a disconnect between native plants vs pollinators habitat unfortunately.
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"If a nature themed license plate is capable of making a person upset, then I wonder about that person's relationship with meaningful challenges in life." This sums up perhaps the most important point in this controversy.
It seems these days some people are running around looking for things to be upset about. Maybe we don’t have enough true challenges going on 🤷🏼♀️
When you don't have any real problems and start making up problems to be mad about.
By the way, aren't most (or at least a large portion) of the plants in North America non-native?
It could also be an diversion to avoid facing real life challenges.
Eh, I mean I agree, it's something that if anyone else made a video about I wouldn't have even looked twice. But, I do feel like it was a strange thing for him to say...if he's going to meaningfully address the issue and make a whole video about it, why minimize the problem or the emotions of those who care about it. Idk it was a weird ad hominem type comment that was strange coming from such a generally positive person.
It depends on the context. If they used an Australian species as a national symbol of New Zealand it would be a big scandal
I appreciate how you turn this issue into a learning opportunity. We'll done
*well
Well said
well-said @@brad2548 'well-said' and 'well-done' . actually it was biased, offensive
He is ALWAYS Well Done! With Class!
Well said
You do a ridiculously good job of explaining this issue. As we both know, there are many people these days now who thrive on finding fault with just about anything.
Yes, people running around looking for something to be upset about. We maybe don’t have enough true challenges going on these days.
In my view, if people don’t have enough challenge then there’s many many real causes they could take up that could help the environment, pollinators and even native species. You know…..get out there and do some real work for the environment instead of behind a keyboard getting people all upset about something 😊
@patrickcunningham4995
Yes. I refer to them as "the chronically offended."
Home run Adam, very thoughtful, thorough & nice job. Congrats Pa. for a great fundraising concept for pollinators. Not upset...no complaints...from Wisconsin!
You Midwesterners are just too laid back! here in the east, we have so many complaints we have to write them down in the rolodex to remember them all!
I think the Purple Coneflower is a good choice for the plate because it’s a species that many people cultivate in the state and recognize as a plant that supports pollinators. It’s almost like an emblem of conservation and restoration projects - not naturally occurring but indicating a human desire to support the ecosystem. Its structure also makes it easy to ID from far away. Thanks for this video Adam!
👍👏✌️😎🐕
As a Pennsylvania resident, i can say with certainty our native ecosystem is irreparably ruined by the introduction of outside species, even in the most rural parts of the state, like where i live there is a mix of hundreds of non native species living among natives. These people are upset about the wrong problem.
LoL...why did I know it was the coneflower? Because I have been to Pennsylvania!
I agree. It is also recognizable from a graphic design point of view due to its color. Also, it’s pretty. Having an obscure, less recognizable plant on the license plate would make people less excited about actually spending money on supporting the issue.
It’s also a natural thing called echinacea, look it up. Surprise
i laughed out loud at "...i wonder about that person's relationship with meaningful challenges in life".😆🍻
That was a soft, but firm way to make the point very clear! LOL
I was insulted because I DO care about native plants and animals and the message a State sends to people. Not long ago a lawn chemical company removed images of Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars from the implied insects that should be killed on the toxin's packaging. Because it broadcasts the wrong concept.
Thank you for shedding the light and dissolving fear with a smile😊
Thank you for a reasoned and thoughtful video. I'm from Harrison county in Ohio, just one county south, and we have purple coneflower in our fields. I don't know how these surveys are conducted, but I have the feeling that people are taking them as absolute, rather than a single data point when they are discussing native v. non-native species. I also believe a better discussion is invasive v. non-invasive.
Yay, PA for making a pollinator plate! 🌸🐝🦋 Thank you, Adam, for such a well reasoned, thoughtful, thoroughly researched presentation on the topic. I learned some things. Appreciate your work!
There are more important things to get upset over than silly license plates.
Perhaps people are sick of being implicitly blamed for environmental issues that are probably caused by five gee or those fake clouds.
You are so right!❤
Great video! I allow all my plants to go to flower and seed and I let my yard pretty much run wild only mowing the grass a couple of times a year, and I have found many species of bees flock to my yard. Picture a world where everybody planted fruit trees instead of grass. Now that would be fun. 😅
Deer ate all our fruit trees before we could get them growing. lol. Just deer proof your yard before planting!
Thank you! I tried a wild yard, but invasives took over. Then I removed all grass manually, it wasn't native and I don't need to own a lawnmower. I'm in New Hampshire. I have many Sweat Bees because they can overwinter under the moss in my yard, which is thermogenic. I have a Wild Black Cherry that feeds lots of animals, especially Variable Hares and slugs.
The level of detail and patience you expressed to explain what is obvious to those with sufficient common sense was . . . commendable. I plant for pollinators in my garden, and I am sure some things are not at all native to NEPA. Like oregano. My huge flowering oregano is attracting 40 bees and pollinators of all kinds - all at the same time - all day. It deserves a license plate!
Wow.
People have mental boundaries.
I like the plate...brings food to our plate.
I love that license plate😊💖💖 Thank you for the detailed information😊 I believe that these days, many people are simply unhappy & discontented, and look for reasons to argue & complain, to interfere with other people's happiness. 💔 If you don't like the plate, then don't purchase it, & don't interfere with other people's personal choice to purchase it--it's that simple.
I appreciate your common sense approach to this silly "issue". -- and all your excellent nature videos. And you are absolutely right about the honey bee, too. Keep up the good work, from an 80-plus year old naturalist from New England.
It isn't clear what species the bee is. It looks like a Sweat Bee. It's hard to say if it is native without knowing what species it is.
Beautifully put, Adam! Love the broad mindedness and bigger picture of this that you painted here. All my relatives from both sides are from PA, solid German stock so to speak... Sounds like a typical discussion/debate in any family gathering of mine - very opinionated and convinced they're right on any side of an issue without considering all of the ways one could look at it. As an herbalist, I say, just make amazing medicine from echinacea purpurea, support your pollinators, and chill out!
If you aint Dutch,you aint much sister!
Even bad publicity is good publicity. They got you to talk about it! I hope they raise alot of money for this program!!! Love your channel!!
Adam gets to the point without hemming and hawing. Adam may rehearse his remarks, but that saves time both in his getting his message across and in our understanding what he wants to say, so your attention does not wander. Good presentation, Adam! Even if you rehearse, it is well worth doing.
....I wonder about that person's relationship with meaningful challenges in life. One of the best lines I've heard on TH-cam
Thank you again, Adam! Great information and I don't know how I feel about this topic. I want to laugh...but I am also grateful that it came up because your response is amazing!
Interesting thoughts. As you said, Pollination is the idea of the plate and to produce funds to help with such. It brought awareness, these people could have used that energy to complain to increase awareness about the multiple ways they could help the environment. As a Buckeye State resident, I could get into lots of conversation about the Canada Goose and my area of Ohio. 😊. Gotta love where you live, wherever that is!
🏵🌼🏵 Definitely NOT something to be upset over ...
Thank You,
Ever-So-Much;
for Your hard work and sharing ALL of this knowledge ... ❤
Some folks just aren't happy unless, their panties are in a bunch ..
Buncha 🌼
Whack-a-Moles ...🌼
I think you are right, that people have way to much time on their hands to be upset about this issue.
One could also posit that the bee is one of the 4,000 bee species native to North America rather than the European honeybee.
Thankyou once again for a level-headed discussion. It made me look to see if my state (WI) has a pollinator plate. We do not yet.
I popped in here just to point that out! Funny how you never hear anyone having a hissy-fit because honeybees are Not Native! D'you suppose that might be because without them, another non-native species - known as homo sapiens - would teeter dangerously near extirpation on this continent, too. (But would that really be such a bad thing?)
@@maggiepfobThe modern literature is wrong. A fossil of Apis Mellifera was recently found in a dry lake bed in North America and there are many Spanish reports of large quantities bees wax being traded for European merchandise when America was first Landes by Spain. The bees were Apis Mellifera Mellifera. (The black bee). The Apis Mellifera Lingustica (The Italian Bee) wasn't introduced until 1857 but both are honeybees. The Italian Bee has taken the place of the Black Bee because beekeepers prefer it.
@@maggiepfobI also think it's rather ironic that the most destructive invasive species on the planet -- homo "sapiens" (should be homo destructo) -- has the nerve to call any other species "invasive"...just sayin'.🙄 I think Adam did a great job with his video, as always.
Wow, a little life lesson with this one. That comment about getting upset and how you deal with real life's problems is so real and had me reflect a little. Thanks. Won't be sweating the small stuff.
As a person that sweated the small stuff for years, this is a refreshing comment to read! Your humility is inspiring. You will learn that you benefit greatly by putting everything in proper context. But it can be a tough skill to acquire in this day & age when sensationalism is everywhere, and people are judged by how angry they get as a barometer to how much they 'care'! All the best to you!
This is a different and very enjoyable video, Adam. You have a way of completely explaining an issue, with lots of relevant and in this case, opinionated in a good way, information. It was amusing and also the videography was quite beautiful.
"Into the wild". If everyone only would remember the true power of plants. Love you brother. I'll never forget the few moments spent with you on a few occasions all those years ago. I knew you were special and sacred in this journey from the moment we met! Much love and gratitude always, dear brother! 💞🌿🤗
First off, EXCELLENT presentation, and I concur completely; your initial 'wondering' about how people would handle truly important issues was very apt. Secondly, the knee-jerk default setting over the past few decades for an increasingly large number of humans seems to be 'focus on the minutiae, not the intended scope of the message, so that we can derail anything and everything.' As has been said, common sense isn't at all 'common' anymore.
Lots of good information using great analytical skills. Thank you for reminding us to think outside the box even when it comes to nature. Excellent point about the honeybees. Most of our biases can be softened or even removed with just a bit of education. Thank you.
In Toronto, we sometimes hear similar picky concerns about native vs non-native. Surrounded by cement as we often are, I am usually just relieved to see plants...even a vacant lot that gets overgrown is a thing of beauty. I feel the honeybee was a worse choice as we have so many native bees that people don't seem to even realize exist. (apparently about 300 just in the general area of our city, a few thousand across the continent.) Now, I am a member of a beekeeping collective that we started about 20 years ago as a part of our ever expanding urban agriculture programs and I love all the bees...heck I also love wasps but that is another story...and I do think that more public education is needed around how to live comfortably with insects in general. I figure that seeds get spread by animals, whether pooped or vomited or just stuck in their feathers or fur and if those seeds can travel a few miles via a native animal, that should be perfectly acceptable. Thanks for your very excellent series which I watch regularly and which I consider relevent all the way to Ontario.
I live in WI so I shouldn't comment on the license plate but I can agree with another's comment. Thank you for turning this into a learning opportunity. I guess that is saying I agree that if this helps our pollinators, it's a non-issue. Very nice reminder about the honey bees, I'd almost forgotten. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and educating those of us with an interest in learning about the land, it's beauty and bounty.
Of course you should comment. Your Bill of Rights says your opinion matters. Political boundaries are a huge part of why humanity is so disconnected from one another, when reality dictates we're all pretty much the same under our cultural skins.
@@anthimatter I think he intended to be polite & respectful since its another states issue, and not his state's issue. You said nothing I disagree with, but just wanted to mention what it appears his intentions were.
As a former resident of PA, you have my persona permission to comment if you want! I have been gone for awhile, and i still comment on things from my old home state. Besides, this silliness is not hemmed in by boundaries. maybe it happens in Wisconsin next, or Minnesota or even my state (the least shocking thing ever)! LOL We appreciate your insight & comments.
Someone will always find anything to complain about, they use the word invasive and not native to areas. I'm in SE, Pennsylvania and I think the license plate looks fine. If you think about it, somewhere along the line we are not native to Pennsylvania either.
You are right. Even native Americans are from Mongolia and were endemic to Siberia. Native and Invasive are just someone's rude opinion of where they draw their line. Endemic lifeforms are never native scientifically and certainly not invasive as it just a rude opinionated insult. That theory has been debunked !
You made a very good point re the honeybee. People objecting to the (supposed) purple coneflower and not the honeybee is a bit ironic.
All I can say is, I have numerous berry bushes cropping up that I didn't plant. #BirdsPoop
Always appreciating your knowledge as well as your pragmatism. #Grateful
I have black berries, poison ivy, roses, and Greenbriar. Yeah birds poop.
@@brianhillis3701 Yes! All of them, Prairie Rose included and a good number of them. Got poisoned by poison sumac for the first time last month. It previously didn't bother me but it got a little intense tearing it and some ivy down. I feel you.😆
What came first? The bird, the plant or the seed?
@@FoulPet The bird from my view. ;)
@@MsTree1 LOL
I love your description of people who get very upset over a license plate image. It can be a positive thought however that people are concerned about local advocacy and wish it to be accurate.👍🏻
Being passionate about nature is about productive solutions not worried about mediocre nonsense. Why not be concerned about some of these giant corporations creating toxics which have a detrimental affect on our environment. Just go out and keep your green spaces free of trash? Or just learn and spread positive awareness. I'm just a concerned citizen that s all.I appreciate your channel thank you. 👍
Good for you that you are the one who gets to decide what being passionate about nature is all about, and what constitutes "mediocre nonsense."
Be sure to tell that to your professor if you ever take a botany class, LOL.
@@alanhyt79 I'm not deciding anything for anyone I'm just pointing out certain facts. Botany class that's cute LOL!!!!
I learned to stop listening to the people that often complain the loudest about the environment who also use more than 10 different hair products and consume roughly 80% of the disposable goods sold in most western countries.
@@badlaamaurukehu They seem to have undue sway with politicians and the local power brokers, though. I generally agree with you, but they sure can be a menace when they put their minds to it!
I never thought this topic could yield such interesting content, but you did it! Ecology rocks!
Flabbergasted that people are "so on edge" they will pick any topic to send forth hate. Wishing you a day filled with love and peace.
I love that “if a license plate is capable ot making a person upset then I
wonder about that person's relationship meaningful challenges in life ❤
We find your channel extremely interesting and enjoy watching all your videos! You do a great job presenting valuable information on plant species and their benefits to us. Keep it coming!
Always someone wanting to pee in everyones bowl of cereal. It's a program to benefit the states natural habitat and people getting upset over a picture. I think you're spot on in saying maybe they might have a bigger issue if that's what they have trouble getting over. Great info as always.
PS i'd love to see you share links whenever you reference a website or database if possible.
OMG. Some people have to have something to complain about. I ignore them.
OK, so I was going to note that people need to lighten up about a lot of issues. I was also going to mention the honey bee. Thankfully Adam was on top of it.
Thanks again Adam for all you do! You rock in so many ways!
People need to stop getting distracted by petty and meaningless issues and look at the reality we are living in.
@@jjlepepe5875But its easier said than done, unfortunately! In my local area, we had these types hiring for a school superintendent position. The best candidate was a graduate from the school, and had a tremendous resume and could have made better money in a bigger school district, but decided to 'come home' in his letter, he addressed the board in a less formal way than a couple women preferred and that was there sole reason for not hiring him! it went national news, and was a total embarrassment! The rumor is the ladies who did this are up for re-election and will not keep their jobs again (we can only hope)! i know this has nothing to do with nature, but the same mindset that created our firestorm, also makes this non-issue an issue. Thanks for listening!
Thanks, Adam. Much appreciated. Sad how even the most mundane thing can become an unforseen trigger today. Great information, as usual.
But until recently pollinators were seen as a small and mundane issue. The people who care about supporting the native insects are the people who care about native plants.
Truly amazing the things some people waste their time & energy choosing to be upset about.
I think you are spot on, Adam. I have a lot of family history in Pennsylvania, though I am not a resident myself. That being said, I like the way the license plate looks and I believe it needs to stay the way it is. I am fairly certain, that Purple Cornflower - purpurea grew native in Pennsylvania - possibly as little as 200 years ago. Right after watching this video, I did a search and what I found was an article, posted online, in May 2021, by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, which is in northwestern Philadelphia. The article is called "Reviving the Prairies of Philadelphia". While they don't actually state this flower as being a native to Pennsylvania, they do mention this flower 'specifically', as well as one other. The article very strongly hints that the Purple Coneflower - purpurea is a Pennsylvania native. Anyway, I thought you might be interested in the article. I found it interesting and you might be able to find more substantial information, to support this beautiful flower's native-ness. I would post the actual link, but don't want to get either of us in hot water with TH-cam. We all know how they can be, lol. You can however, find their website at - schyulkillcenter. org. You could probably even call/visit them and get the lowdown on their project and its progress.
By the way, you're not really off topic. The license plate was created to help nature and you are just discussing the controversy surrounding it. It's a good video and, in my opinion, those people who are complaining, need to find constructive hobbies to focus on, instead of trying to stomp on efforts to help nature. Best wishes and thanks for the knowledge you share with us. 🌱
I'm sure you understand these types like I do. They dont 'intend' to stomp on efforts. they are simply the foremost experts (in their minds) on the correct way to do everything. They are purists; there is only ONE right way, in their minds, and only they know that right way!
I think the program is amazing and I didn't think twice about the flower used on the plate.
I saw the all the new plates posted on the Pa sub Reddit and cheered this specific plate as my particular favorite but there are of course many other good specialty plates in mix too if people want to choose one of the other programs or designs that would also help our great state 💙
Climate change, kinda sounds like a natural thing doesn’t it? Thanks ADAM. WELL DONE!
You don't think climate change is drivin by human activity?
@@TheKopakah I think everything bad is caused by humans, everything.
I don't think the discussion about climate change has ever asserted that any change at all was bad...only that human activity is accelerating the rate of change to dangerous levels.
That being said, there's plenty of other things that are natural that can be harmful or even disastrous when encountered out of proportion: water is natural and even essential, but nobody uses this to downplay the impact of flooding or drowning, poop is natural but I bet you still call your plumber when it's backing up in your home...even invasive species are natural...it's their location that makes them a problem.
It doesn't even always have to be problematic amounts or locations to make "natural = not a problem" a bad argument. Poison Ivy and mosquitoes are completely natural...doesn't mean that they're harmless or not worth efforts to mitigate their impact!
IT depends on who is doing it, look up Weathermodification , We are being played. @@TheKopakah
As long as the non-native plant or insect is not considered invasive, I think it's fine to put them on the PA license plate. During the 1800's several of Pennsylvania's native trees, plants and wildlife were harvested almost to the point of extinction. With better sustainable practices and stewardship, Pennsylvania's Forests are making a come back, but look a bit different today then in the past. That's part of the evolutionary process. Any species that works with the local ecosystem is welcome in my book!
If you've been to NE Pa recently, you'll know that LNG fracking is decimating Pa forests. The expansion is massive, 98% unregulated & cleverly hidden from main roads. Our individual efforts are more important than ever
Its just me I realize, but its not anything worth getting upset about. Its a flower for Heaven's sake! Plant some!
Yes, but what plant you plant in what location does matter a lot
Very true. I see Caragana Arborescens all over the forests in my city and it is a tragic sight because they destroy the soil and poison native species while outcompeting them
Thanks, again, Adam for another enlightening video. Healthy controversy always sparks conversation and learning. Keep up the good work!
As you said, this particular license plate is designed to raise money for pollination. The cause is what is important, I would think
For well-adjusted people, you are absolutely right. For the rest, apparently this is scandalous! LOL
If the intent is to support state native pollinators, then they should use state native plants.
I LOVE and Appreciate your putting this issue into a broader learning perspective, I think its Ridiculous that uninformed people get so upset over such a trivial thing.. folks should understand that the Entire earth IS a Living being and there are SO Many cycles and changes that take place over Time.. I firmly believe that this Species of flower More than Likely Was Native to PA at some point in time and Very Well May just make its way back there on its own at another point in time anyway.. I say Support the pollinators in any way possible 🥰
It would helpful to set a fund (apart from the plates) to support pollinators habitat so people can deposit as much money as they are angry and even make a contest who is the angriest according to their $upport :)
The license plate is for a good cause and I believe that should be the deciding factor.
Good for you Adam. My wife has a garden full of purple cone flowers. We have many, many pollinators. Just outside of Baltimore and not too far from DC that can’t be bad!
Your easy on the eyes. Great smile and you're well spoken and clearly intelligent.
I see purple cone flowers all along the G.A.P. bike trail, saw them yesterday up near Rockwood, always looking to identify edible foods and flowers along the trail. You taught me well, Adam. "I think some people need to get a life".
Wow, young man! You really know your stuff! I have subscribed to your channel and told my friends about this channel! Live long and prosper 🖖, y’all!
Thank you Adam for your knowledge, your patience, your research and sharing your wonderful education. I agree with you 100%. It really angers me that so many people really don't know what they're talkin about never did research and want to call every single thing not native and invasive just for the sake of arguing. those are two words I refuse to listen to. I have never seen a plant become invasive I have only seen them grow in abundance but I have never seen them take out the ecology that grows around them.. whether native or non-native I believe all plants and species are beneficial to the ecosystem. And therefore belongs in the world I live in. ❤
"If a nature-themed license plate has capability to make somebody upset, I wonder about that person's relationship with meaningful challenges in life." SOMEBODY CALL THE BURN WARD HOLY CRAP THAT WAS A HOT ROAST!
Some people just need something to be upset about. I'm not from Pennsylvania but it seems like a noble cause to me. Today I learned honey bees aren't native 😮 Thanks for the interesting video, keep up the great work.
It' not a honeybee! at 2:24 you can read the description that says it is a green sweat bee. There are multiple genera and species that have that common name.
Just a note: If you want to help pollinators, plant a tulip poplar tree. Each individual blossom produces so much nectar that a honey bee can fill up their belly from one flower rather than visit a few hundred before heading back to the hive. Beekeepers rely on this tree for the majority of their honey harvest.
Tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, is one of my favorite trees…the flowers are gorgeous and contain lots of nectar! 🌳😊
Honey bees are not the only kind if bees. There are many types of insects that rely on many species of plants, they must not be forgotten. As always, diversity is key
I really love tulip poplars! Is this why there is often so much aphid honeydew on the surfaces under tulip poplars in late spring/early summer?
The honey bee it's self is a invasive species that is responsible for the extinction of many native pollinators.
Doesn't that mean that the bee's are visiting less plants and thus pollinating less? Makes sense for a honey farm but I don't understand why that is preferable in the wild.
I live in PA.
Didn't know about the Car Plate, so thanks.
I love the video.
A beautiful flower from the Land we call America, with a beautiful Butterfly and a wonderful Honey Bee!
The Power of Pollination!
From PA and hadn’t heard about this yet. I’ve been spending more time recently mulling over the native v nonnative arguments. Thanks for breaking this down so concisely!
Can I suggest a book? The New Wild by Fred Pearce. It's about the subject and the non native invasive theory being false.
@inharmonywithearth9982 Thank you for suggesting that book! It opened my eyes!!!
You are absolutely right. This is what I think. And I think that some people don’t have enough problems in their life to worry about so they make it a big issue about a license plate. How silly!
Wow. Pennsylvania, get it together. Thank you for addressing this. 💜🐝🦋
At least the controversy didn't have to do with the gender of insects depicted on the license plate... 😆
Dang! You did your research. Well done! People have become more concerned about invasive species, which seems to be the flip-side to native species. That being said, license plates are state issued and therefore should have the state flower represented and a firefly. A cone flower would be acceptable if it appeared as a nature organization's logo. This is just my opinion of course. 😊(I adore the purple coneflower!)
I appreciate this very much. One mightbargue that we are invasive, but a flower? So so many permanently established flowers.
Well done! Flowers can also migrate on their own. But there will always be people looking to pick a fight or complain. Thanks for taking a grounded take on the topic.
I understand the dilemma. It is good to discuss various facets of the subject so people will have a deeper understanding. I have a wildflower habitat garden. Echinacea is very useful, and not an invasive. I'd like to see old industrial lands reclaimed for habitat and wild flowers. Natives are the best, but one can learn a history lesson by researching any wild plant. Thank you!
I never once wondered if purple cone flowers were native to Missouri. They are like the orange lily-shaped flowers the grow in ditches and other odd places, they are just what I grew up with. I lump them in with Queen Anne's Lace and May Apple plants as part of living in rural Missouri. Now I wonder how wrong I was for decades... Oh, and I am not native to Missouri, I was born in California...
Great job!!!! Great learning opportunity, I am learning to tolerate non-natives that are NOT invasives and benefit native fauna and play nice with the native flora. Very complex subject but you broke it down well and gave us food for thought.
Great job and your reasoning applies to other arguments as well- like aquifers - they know no boundaries either. It never ceases to amaze me about what some people will get all worked up over and this is a prime example.
Good presentation of facts. Seems like a lot of people just WANT to be upset or offended. My perspective is: in the scheme of life, does it make a meaningful difference.... for Heaven's sake it's a license plate, it's purpose is about pollinators, not what you grow for their benefit.
I'm with you man that seems like a trivial complaint to make. Cheers Adam. Keep up the great work!
We have more important things to be angry about these days I’m sure. Thanks.
Planting flowers for insects that are being destroyed by insecticides & herbicides avoids the elephant in the room which is the use of these highly poisonous chemicals on today's farms. Our county roads were always dependable places for milkweed to grow but now they are devoid of vegetation due to the use of herbicides & mowing. If produce in the grocery store has the tiniest blemish it tossed out.
Herbicide has already caused as much harm as DDT! It is killing ocean phytoplankton plants and creating our ocean DEAD ZONES. It needs to be banned. They cover up and hide the damage. Here is a channel showing what herbicide is doing to Florida th-cam.com/video/VAWGp7U2r7A/w-d-xo.html
Upset (triggered) or setup? No noone can make us feel anything. 💯
A trigger is a message to you, noone else. Learning or unlearning.
❤
Thank you for your energy!
This is such a good video, thank you 😊
I live just south of PA, in Maryland. We have a very small backyard but decided we would use that space for a pollinator garden. One of the first flowers we planted was purple coneflowers. The bees and butterflies love them and thats all that matters!🌼🌻🌷🌺🌸
You went above and beyond to explain this. Well done! As an artist myself I think visually the pic was done with complimentary colors and placement of the objects get the eye to focus towards the pollinator habit phrase. People should do research before they complain about something they don't have enough knowledge about.
I really appreciate your perspective. It is my belief that things like this teach us a lot about humans as well as the places in which we live. Personally, if we want to have clear communications that teach science, ecology, and about pollinators: we should teach specific storied interactions that everyday folks can see and from which be inspired. Whatever that is. Should they have picked another flower/pollinator relationship that resonates with folks in PA because it is currently extant and endemic? That would be my choice, perhaps Kalmia latifolia and its pollinators. Anything that tells a story, fires imagination and curiosity, and starts a conversation in terms of science literacy. I think you have done so, regardless of the plate's current content. Cheers.
The Monarch Butterfly migrates to Mexico for the winter. When we used to raise and tag them we released them from near Traverse City, MI, and they would fly 1329 miles to El Rosario, Mexico. The license plate is beautiful, and pollinators love the purple cone flower. Good show, Thanks!!
Great content as always. It’s crazy that people have an issue with that. We have much bigger fish to fry.
Beautifully reasoned and highly useful in clarifying the situation. Thanks.
Thanks for the great video Adam! The topic of native range is really interesting. A few weeks ago I was looking for an ID on a tree that I thought was Magnolia macrophylla, big leaf magnolia. I posted on a Facebook group and someone insisted it couldn't be macrophylla because I was about 50 miles from it's closest "native range" . Having now identified that tree in a different spot that was within its range, I can say it definitely was macrophylla.
As a rule, I always try to listen and think before labeling another's opinions silly or pointless. The fact is, invasive species pose real challenges in many places and for many ecosystems. The thoughts expressed in this video are informed, well considered and seem to me a fine example of working through this issue with respect and understanding.
Well done.
This is a great video. Thank you for making this. I had no idea that native v. non-native was even an argument. I figured most people did what they wanted on their property. This is a great resource for people like me who have never even heard of BONAP.
Be grateful for the controversy, Adam. It is raising greater awareness of the Pollinator Habitat Program Fund than would otherwise have occurred.
Is this the kind of 'awareness' you really want though? Arent you concerned that people who are causal observers (most people) will find that people embroiled in this are emotionally unstable? Not ALL press is good press. If i didnt already have an interest, its these types of stories that would keep me away. I tried to get involved with the environmental movement in the 1990's and met WAY too many people like this (Sierra Club). I still have emotional scars, and avoid rabid environmentalists like plague victims.
People sometimes hide their unresolved , tribalistic , insecure feelings about "foreigners" and "outsiders" in their midsts by talking about Plants instead of what they are really bothered about... Other People. Who Are Different From Them. Supposedly. LOL. Excellent video, thank you!!! The terrain is always changing. It is up to us to make sure those changes Vibe Right with Mother Nature.
Thank you! I have purple coneflowers. They are one of the most visited flowers in my yard. I have many native species as well. The point is that the purple coneflower attracts a wide array of pollinators. Swallowtails, monarchs, fritillaries, coppers, skippers, hummingbird moths, beetles, metallic bees, etc. That is the point of this program and it works.
I also plant butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) instead of butterfly bush as well. Insects love it and being a milkweed, monarch’s thrive on it.
Love your videos, you are a wonderful teacher. missed not seeing you lately . much love and peace.
Great video! As Rosanna Rosannadanna's grandma always says, "It's always something!" 😂🤣
*A shout out to Gilda Radnor's character on the original Saturday Night Live! show.
Classic !
Oh my goodness.
So very thorough and yes so very well done as usual☺️
I certainly have my issues with governments and bureaucracies but this positive step by Harrisburg should not be criticized but rather applauded and appreciated. In this case the intent to raise funds and awareness about a serious environmental issue outweighs whether it is technically correct in its presentation. I would ask that we all look at the positive big picture (Aiding Pollinators plight) of this program.
When the minor concern(s) were dissected by Adam in such a logical and professional manner, the dispute becomes debatable and inconsequential. Thank you Adam.
Hopefully the program will be very successful.
I fully agree that if people are so concerned about such a mundane issue, then they have deeper psychological problems they should be addressing.
Well said, Adam. Much as I love the hoop-skirted flowers of the mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, may I point out to those who are backing the use of PA's state flower that it is toxic, as is the honey made by bees who frequent it. It would thus be totally (you might even say 'wildly') inappropriate for this campaign. I vote to call the image E. laevigata and be done with it.
Honeybees cannot make toxic honey. The foraging worker bees would die before bringing the nectar home and the house bees would die manufacturing it. A lot of what they write is untrue. Many plants they write are toxic to bees are not . They write that buckeye is toxic. My bees love buckeye and its healthy for them.
There is controversy in Southern Ontario as to whether or not Purple Coneflower was ever native here. I think it would have been better for the license plate to have a native flower instead, and a native bee. There seems to be a disconnect between native plants vs pollinators habitat unfortunately.