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
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.