On February 2, 2023, Alex Pedro, owner of Plants by Pedro, spoke at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Lynn. He spoke about the various pollinators in our environment and the need to “help” them survive. He said: “We are all familiar with the common bee, yet there are numerous other pollinators. Basically, any insect that flies can be considered one.” If an insect is attracted to a flowering plant, then it is considered to be a pollinator.
One way we can help them survive is to allow our lawns to grow without cutting it or treating the lawn with harsh chemicals. By not cutting or treating the lawn, we allow it to grow longer and let flowering weeds grow, or wildflowers. This allows the pollinators to help the flowers grow which can help the vegetable, and fruit plants to grow to maturity. Without the pollinators in the environment, we would not have as many fruits and vegetables. We have all heard of the need for apple orchard owners to rent beehives to help with the pollination. The need to rent the hives is because of a bee shortage.
During his talk he stressed that people should live by the motto of: No Mow May! If we all did that it would help the environment! Why No Mow May? Because when you mow the lawns of your homes in May (in northern climates), it removes habitat and nutrients for bees and other pollinators that are emerging from underground winter homes. He left us with this closing message: “Keep in mind that there are four simple ways to protect pollinators: Grow pollinator friendly flowers; Provide nest sites; Avoid pesticides; and Spread the word”.
Alex’s presentation was a timely one because it dovetails with Rotary International’s initiative to Empower members of the Rotary Family worldwide to take actions to sustain our environment, and that is the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG).
Alex Pedro graduated from Lynn Classical High School 2017. He went on to attend Clemson University but left after a few years to pursue his love for working outdoors full-time. Following his grandfather and his love of plants, Alex is an avid gardener. Turning his passion into profit, Alex now owns and operates "Plants by Pedro," which is a plant maintenance business.