Nectar gardens on school grounds reconnect plants, birds and people

Abstract

Pollinators are among the first to be lost when natural habitat is reduced to small patches and this can have cascading effects on multiple plant species. Simultaneously, the loss of natural habitat cuts people off from nature and, when people are out of touch with nature they do not care for biodiversity, resulting in further losses. Theoretically, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on pollinators can be mitigated by reconnecting isolated conservation areas with stepping stones and, if these are located in an urban matrix, they offer opportunities for people to reconnect with nature. Here we assess the effect of creating stepping stone habitats for nectar-feeding birds across Cape Town, South Africa. With the help of pupils, we planted gardens of indigenous, bird-pollinated plants at eight schools in the urbanized matrix between two conservation areas. To test for change in the bird community on school grounds we conducted 398 bird observation sessions over a seven-year period. Changes in attitudes and knowledge were assessed with questionnaires distributed to 176 pupils. We found that, as gardens matured, nectar availability increased and the probability of observing a Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) on school grounds during a 30 min period increased from 10% to 50%. Bird species richness increased from ~5 to ~7 species. Questionnaire scores increased by 30% in participating pupils versus 8% in non-participating pupils. Although effects were small, the results suggest that it is possible to restore the bird-pollination mutualism in cities and in the process reconnect people with nature.