Maple Grove company highlights what anyone can do to foster pollinator growth
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. -- It's Pollinator Week, an annual event meant to focus on the power of pollinators and how we can protect them. One Minnesota energy company is celebrating by pledging to expand its already large number of pollinator-friendly habitats.
Behind Great River Energy's headquarters, you'll find ducks and canoers in Arbor Lake as a bird soars above. In the vegetation surrounding the lake are butterflies, bees, birds, and bats, all contributing to a pollinator habitat in desperate need of restoration.
"We're down to about 1% of what Minnesota once had in native prairie landscape. So with our geography and serving 71 counties in Minnesota, we have the ability to make a really wide impact," Great River Energy's David Ranallo said.
Great River Energy incorporated pollinator habitat into the design and construction of its headquarters in 2008. At the Maple Grove site, one and a half acres are considered "pollinator strong."
"This building and what's going on here is really a demonstration to show folks you can do it as well at home or at your office," Ranallo said.
RELATED: Xeriscaping: The growing landscaping trend that saves water, helps pollinators
Over the next five years, Great River Energy has committed to plant and restore over 300 acres of pollinator habitat at both current and future sites.
"We've always for decades looked at pollinator habitat under transmission lines and to enhance reliability, but now we're looking at every single facility we can -- substations, telecom sites, service centers," Ranallo said.
The brown dots on this map, represent the company's widespread expansion of new native prairie and pollinator habitats:
"We tell folks you've got to wait for the good stuff to come up, but after a year or two, by year three you're going to like the way you look with pollinators," Ranallo said. "It's as simple as if you have a garden or a yard or a window box, one square foot of native pollinator plants can make a difference for these little critters."
Great River Energy has a website where you can learn more about the benefits of pollinator habitats and how to create an impact in your own backyard.