18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Altered Images
Pollen in my Eyes

I captured this image of a honey bee wiping pollen from her eyes. She was busily feeding on clover flowers in an overgrown grass pathway in a local county park. Although clover is often despised by lawn-lovers, it is an excellent food source for pollinators. Here in Wisconsin, the city of Appleton adopted a "No Mow May" initiative. It ended up providing 40 additional acres of land with food resources for pollinators in the early spring, when flowers can be scarce. Sections of grass that had not been mowed showed a 5-fold increase in bee abundance and 3-fold increase in bee diversity compared to sections of grass that were regularly mowed. Every lawn can make a difference and help support pollinators in our communities.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Cross Plains, Wisconsin, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-6000
Copyright: © Anne Readel