Operation Pollination

Rotary Club of West El Paso, Texas presentation on January 11, 2021
Last year the Rotary Foundation added a new area of focus in support of its mission around the world: supporting the environment. It’s not just environmental organizations supporting conservation efforts these days, it’s all kinds of groups including churches, businesses and civic groups like Rotary. Here in El Paso the Rotary Club of West El Paso recently collaborated with the Zoo in supporting the Zoo’s conservation focus on pollinators. All around the world human activities have impacted environmental changes that have drastically reduced the diversity and distribution of pollinators. Nearly 85% of the world’s flowering plants need animals including insects, birds, mammals and other species to achieve pollination.
To help people in El Paso better understand how they can help pollinators the Zoo is creating pollinator gardens with the help of the education team and our Zoo Garden Supervisor Ernesto Gaytan. Plants have been donated by Sierra Vista Growers in Anthony, New Mexico and Rotary is signing up members to help with the gardens this summer.
Thanks to the leadership of Rotary Club President Suzanna Hallmark the West El Paso Rotary Club has scheduled a series of presentations on the plight of pollinators including one on Operation Pollination and one presented by Bat Conservation International on how endangered bats are connected to the pollination of agaves. The Club has also contributed to the Zoo’s conservation efforts this year in support of a tree seedling give-a-way program at the Zoo planned for later this year.