Despite the seeming abundance of the moths, bees, butterflies and other insects that keep plants pollinated, many of our state’s pollinators are at risk. Habitat loss and pesticide use are among factors working against them, reducing numbers and making natural habitat scarce.

When selecting plants for gardens and community spaces, choose native, pollinator-friendly options, and reduce pesticide and herbicide use to create safer environments for pollinators.

North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives maintain thousands of miles of lines, and as such have a unique opportunity to support pollinators with all that open natural space. By planting native grasses and low-growing plants in rights-of-way, co-ops are saving on maintenance costs and reducing reliance on herbicides, protecting pollinators from harmful chemicals. Increasing habitats through these practices can boost populations of threatened or endangered species, as well as those on the brink like monarch butterflies.

Monarchs are an iconic, migratory species known for their bold orange and black wings, although pesticide use, urban development and a changing climate have reduced monarch populations by more than 80% in the last two decades. Monarchs are under consideration to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, an evaluation that will continue in coming months.

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives are supporting efforts to rebuild monarch populations, with environmental stewardship as a core pillar of our mission. We are a part of the NC Pollinator Conservation Alliance’s energy committee, which shares ideas about creating pollinator habitat in utility rights-of-way and on solar farms. For one, we’ve made a transmission line right-of-way near the Hamlet power plant a Pollinator Pitstop along the state’s “Butterfly Highway,” a statewide conservation restoration initiative of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF). Anyone can join the effort by converting part of a yard, or even a simple container garden, into a pitstop — visit ncwf.org/habitat/butterfly-highway to learn more.

How else can we all contribute to supporting pollinators? When selecting plants for gardens and community spaces, choose native, pollinator- friendly options, and reduce pesticide and herbicide use to create safer environments for pollinators. Support conservation organizations, like the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and Conservation Legacy, both of which have partnered with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives to preserve our state’s beauty and instill environmental responsibility in the next generation.

Supporting conservation efforts and North Carolina’s pollinators through initiatives like these is simply the right thing to do — for the environment, for our communities and for future generations.