New study examines mining impact on area's pollinators
'Current land uses may have a greater influence on pollinating insects than disturbance caused by mining.’
A new report examines the impact of mining on pollinating insects. It has found current land uses may have a greater influence than mining practices. As part of the report, researchers and volunteers collected insect samples from food forest sites over the summer months. (Supplied/Kaleigh Mooney)
That’s according to new research done by Trent University in conjunction with Sudbury Shared Harvest.
“Simply put, it does not seem to matter if there is mining disturbance nearby, as long as there is enough forested area to supply the pollinator population with supplementary food resources and nesting habitat,” said author and undergraduate student Kaleigh Mooney.
“That said a new study with more sample sites would be beneficial to draw stronger conclusions about the relationship between pollinator groups and surrounding green space.”
Volunteers and Sudbury Shared Harvest staff collected insect samples from food forest sites over the summer months.
Volunteers and Sudbury Shared Harvest staff collected insect samples from food forest sites over the summer months as part of the research study. (Supplied/Kaleigh Mooney)
Her report is part of a long-term study by Sudbury Shared Harvest in collaboration with researchers at Trent University and Sir Sandford Fleming College that takes a look into the effects of heavy metal contamination in soils.
A new report examines the impact of mining on pollinating insects. It has found current land uses may have a greater influence than mining practices. Kaleigh Mooney, an undergraduate student and the author of the report, collecting insect samples in the summer of 2023. (Supplied/Kaleigh Mooney)
“So the big conclusions I would draw from this study are those island gardens, like having the most amount of garden space available for pollinators, is a really essential tool for increasing the diversity in city areas, especially when it's in close proximity to industrial practices,” said Mooney.
Kaleigh Mooney“In growing native plants, it’s something that a lot of people hadn’t heard of before, when we started our food forest we hadn’t paid a lot of attention to planting native, it was kind of something that we had thought about and considered but more and more now when we plant flowers in our gardens, we’re specifically trying to plant native plants,” said Carrie Regenstreif, co-executive director of Sudbury Shared Harvest.
Regenstreif adds their long-term goal is to share results with the community in the form of guidelines for growing food safely in local soil.
The findings can be found on the group’s website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968271.1721298812!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Former safety minister wants 'protective zones' for MPs' offices as threats increase
Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino is calling for the creation of 'protective zones' around political constituency offices to shield members of Parliament and their staff from a rising tide of threatening behaviour.
Two deaths in listeriosis outbreak linked to plant-based milk recall
Two people have died after an outbreak of listeriosis triggered a national recall of certain plant-based milks, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.
John Deere ends support of 'social or cultural awareness' events, distances from inclusion efforts
Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor 'social or cultural awareness' events, becoming the latest major U.S. company to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash.
NEW 'No more barriers in CAF' as Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan to be officially named head of military
Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan will become the first female to lead the Canadian Armed Forces following a ceremony in Ottawa today.
Rare photos reveal uncontacted tribe in Peruvian Amazon as loggers move in
Rare images of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous tribe in the remote Peruvian Amazon, were published on Tuesday by Survival International,
Teens could face charges after homes damaged in 'ding dong ditch' pranks, B.C. RCMP say
Authorities are asking parents to speak with their teenagers following a "frenzy" of recent door-knock pranks in Surrey, B.C., that have escalated into property damage.
JD Vance introduces himself as Trump's running mate and makes direct appeal to his native Rust Belt
Introducing himself to the nation after being tapped as Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance used his Wednesday night address to the Republican National Convention to share the story of his hardscrabble upbringing and make the case that his party best understands the challenges facing struggling Americans.
Quebec filmmaker denied replacement hand after airplane propeller accident
The War Amps is speaking out after one of its members who lost most of his hand in an airplane propeller accident was denied coverage by Quebec for a mechanical hand.
Video shows B.C. grizzly basking in clawfoot tub
A donated clawfoot bathtub has become the preferred lounging spot for a pair of B.C. grizzly bears, who have been taking turns relaxing and reclining in it – with minimal sibling squabbling – for the past year.