Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Bats, Beetles, and Wind–Oh My

What do all these things have in common? They all help provide pollination, so we have food on our tables.

Grocery stores would be rather empty without the hard work of bees, birds, butterflies, bats and other pollinators. Yes, even the wind helps with pollination. About 75 percent of crops are pollinated by animals. That’s a whole different range of foods, from fruits to nuts to vegetables. The USDA estimated that crops dependent on pollination are worth more than $10 billion per year. Despite the importance of pollinators, they are taken for granted all too often.

Different pollinators are v...