Wright-Patt supports conservation with annual Pollinator Expo Published July 8, 2025 By Lisa M. Riley WRIGHTPATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- A mid-morning thunderstorm did not deter participants of the 2025 Wright Patt Pollinator Expo. Individuals and families from across the Miami Valley came to the annual event at the Wright Brothers Memorial to learn about environmental pollinators. Once the storm clouds cleared, nearly 200 Expo attendees visited displays set up by 21 organizations from across Ohio. The booths provided educational information and resources for visitors to learn how individuals can make a difference in pollinator conservation efforts and be good stewards of the environment. Expo attendee Katy Buddelmeyer said she is involved in environmental and community efforts and the Pollinator Expo is a great place to meet like-minded people. “I did learn about some new plants to put in my gardens, and I also got seeds for those plants,” she said. Wright-Patt hosting this event just makes sense according to Darryn Warner, natural resource program manager at the base. “With all the conservation work we do, and our pollinator habitat we have on base, it kind of goes hand-in-hand,” he said. In 2017, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base earned Bee City USA recognition. According to their website, Bee City USA provides a framework for communities to work together to conserve native pollinators by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides. Wright-Patt is one of 236 locations with this designation. Warner emphasized that the health of our crops and agricultural system is dependent on pollinators. The Bee City USA website states that pollinators are a keystone species in essentially every ecosystem on earth, which enables the reproduction of over 85% of all flowering plants and 67% of agricultural crops. “One person can make an impact. If one person leaves here and plants a flower or chooses not to spray a section of their yard with pesticides, they can have an impact,” said Warner. “Then if they tell somebody else, it can grow exponentially.” This was the 8th year that Wright-Patt has hosted this free, public event. Individuals looking to learn more about pollinator conservation can visit the available resources: https://monarchjointventure.org/ https://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation https://www.usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/plants-and-crops/plant-breeding/pollinators https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators https://www.pollinator.org/nrcs-ohio