US faith groups rally to the aid of pollinating creatures

	And your Lord inspired the bees (saying), ‘Make your hives in the hills and in the trees and in the trellises which the people erect, (Al-Nahal, 9:68) There is an entire chapter of the Qu'ran named after a pollinator: Al-Nahal (the bee).

We all know about the birds and the bees, don't we? It's estimated that nearly 80% of flowering plants in the world rely on an animal pollinator to help them procreate. Worldwide roughly 1000 of the 1200 plant species grown for food, beverages, fibres, spices and medicines need to be pollinated by animals, whether hummingbirds, bats, bees or other insects.

	God said, ‘See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.’ Torah, Gen 1:29

But loss of habitat, the use of pesticides and competition from non-native plant and animal species has threatened the survival of many of the pollinating animals, especially in industrialised countries. In the US alone over 50% of managed honeybee colonies have been lost over the last 20 years.

Now a conservation-based NGO from Montana, USA is calling for faith groups to join an international protection campaign to help restore this vital element of the natural world by launching a Faith Task Force across Canada, the USA and Mexico. TheTributary Fund, which has been an important partner to ARC for many years, has begun the campaign with a series of attractive and helpful leaflets explaining the environmental and theological significance of pollinators for Buddhist, Christian, Islamic and Jewish communities. As well as exploring the spiritual implications of pollinator conservation the leaflets offer a range of practical ideas for individuals and groups to help restore their local pollinator populations.

You can read more about the Tributary Fund's pollinator programme here. and download copies of leaflets for Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

To learn more about the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) click here.