Efforts in Iowa focus on preserving vital prairie pollinators.

A monarch butterfly is seen resting on purple aster flowers in Grinnell, Iowa. The state boasts over 2,500 native pollinators, including 400 to 500 species of native bees. However, the expansion of monocrop agriculture has made it increasingly difficult for these pollinators to find suitable prairie habitats. Grinnell College's biology faculty and staff at the Conard Environmental Research Area discussed the implications for Iowa's pollinators and the efforts needed to support them.