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Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports (2022)

Chapter: Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
×
Page 11
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
×
Page 13
Page 14
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26680.
×
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9   This chapter provides a brief history of pollinator programs at North American and inter- national airports and offers an overview of current pollinator-friendly programs on airports. In addition, it identifies the common motivation or goals that led to the development of these pollinator-friendly programs. For the purpose of this synthesis, pollinator-friendly programs are defined as those consisting of beekeeping operations, the development of pollinator habitat (sites composed of a variety of pollinator-friendly plant species as well as native grasses), or both. Since habitat programs at airports are less common than beekeeping programs, a review of DOT programs with pollinator-friendly objectives is also included; this chapter provides an overview of these programs to identify lessons learned from their experiences managing land for pollinators. 2.1 Origin of Airport Pollinator-Friendly Programs Over the last two decades, airports around the world have implemented pollinator-friendly programs on airport property to meet environmental needs and increase public engagement. Hamburg Airport in Germany was the first to implement an on-airport apiary in 1999 (Beurteaux 2015; Puiu 2015). Since the onset of the program, the apiary has produced over 12,000 jars of honey (Craig 2019). Following the success of this initial program, other German airports have installed apiaries on their lands, including Frankfurt, Hannover, Munich, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Nuremberg, and Leipzig/Halle (Puiu 2015; Beurteaux 2015). Other countries that later developed pollinator-friendly programs include Sweden, Denmark, the United States, and Canada (Beurteaux 2015; Puiu 2015). In 2009, Sweden’s Malmö Airport was the first airport to use honey and pollen collected from its apiary’s bees to assess air quality and pollution levels associated with airport activities. Each year, Malmö Airport reports on the levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and volatile organic hydrocarbons to ensure that the airport is within European Union air quality limits (Puiu 2015; Beurteaux 2015). Other airports in Europe with on-airport apiaries now use this method to test air pollution levels and monitor environmental conditions as well (Chino 2010). In 2011, Chicago O’Hare International Airport became the first to implement a major on-airport apiary in the United States; with 75 hives, it was once the largest airport apiary in the world (Puiu 2015). O’Hare Airport has since reduced its number of hives because land-use changes have resulted in less forage available for the airport’s colonies. Table 1 provides a list of airports around the world that host active apiaries; the list also indicates those that participated in inter- views for this study. C H A P T E R 2 A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports

10 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports Airport Interviewed (Yes/No) Year Program Began Albuquerque International Sunport No N/A Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Yes* N/A Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Yes 2017 Austin–Bergstrom International Airport Yes* N/A Centennial Airport (Colorado) Yes 2019 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Yes 2011 Dayton International Airport Yes* 2012 Indianapolis International Airport Yes 2015 St. Louis Lambert International Airport No N/A Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Yes 2015 Olympia Regional Airport Yes 2016 Orlando International Airport Yes 2014 Pensacola International Airport No 2016 Pittsburgh International Airport Yes 2012 Seattle–Tacoma International Airport Yes 2013 Copenhagen Airport, Denmark No N/A Dresden Airport, Germany No N/A Dublin Airport, Ireland No 2018 Düsseldorf International Airport, Germany No 2006 Frankfurt Airport, Germany No 2011 Hagi–Iwami Airport, Japan No 2016 Hamburg Airport, Germany No N/A Hannover Airport, Germany No N/A Leipzig/Halle Airport, Germany No N/A Luxembourg Airport, Luxembourg No 2020 Malmö Airport, Sweden No 2007 Montréal–Mirabel International Airport, Canada Yes 2014 Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, Canada Yes 2014 Munich International Airport, Germany No 2008 Nuremberg Airport, Germany No N/A Stuttgart Airport, Germany No 2012 Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada No N/A Václav Havel Prague Airport, Czech Republic No N/A Vancouver International Airport, Canada No N/A Victoria Inner Harbour Airport, Canada No N/A * Included in supplemental interviews N/A Information not available Source: Authors’ compilation of sources from airports and news articles. See reference list. Table 1. Sampling of U.S. and international airports with apiaries and pollinator-friendly programs. Pollinator-friendly programs that focus on establishing habitat are less common on airports. In 2014, Hamburg Airport launched a wild bee project, working with the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung (German Wild Animal Foundation), in a bid to increase the habitat of endangered insects. The initiative has since become an official project within the framework of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (Craig 2019). In the United States, few airports have launched pollinator habitat initiatives. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport is among these few. It has worked with a nonprofit, The Common Acre, to leverage resources to establish pollinator habitat on a former golf course that had formerly attracted wildlife hazards.

A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports 11   2.2 Overview of Current Airport Pollinator-Friendly Programs Over the last decade, beekeepers have experienced significant colony losses; some wild bee populations have also declined. These declines can be attributed to myriad interacting stressors including disease, pesticides, and habitat loss. As more is learned about the threats to bees and other pollinators, it becomes imperative to find new solutions to aid in the recovery and pres- ervation of these critically important species. Consequently, airports have begun incorporating pollinator-friendly programs into their sustainability initiatives. These have included beekeeping programs as well as habitat development. This section provides an overview of researched air- ports around the globe and the airports and DOTs that were surveyed and interviewed as part of the study. A total of 13 airports participated in this study. These participants have engaged in efforts to develop beekeeping programs and establish pollinator habitat on or near airport property. Ten of the 13 participating airports host a beekeeping operation on or near airport property, while four have established or restored habitat that benefits pollinator species. Airports with programs that were not part of the study are listed in Table 1. According to the survey results, though the airports had varying motivations for initiating a pollinator-friendly program (see Section 2.3 for more detail), nearly all of the airports expressed during interviews that pursuit of a pollinator-friendly program was aimed at raising awareness of pollinators in airport visitors, passengers, and neighboring community groups, and serving as stewards in support of environmental and community health. The beekeeping operations at the airports varied in size and scale. For the purpose of this study, beekeeping operations were categorized as small (2 to 4 hives), medium (10 to 30 hives), and large (100 or more hives). Of the 13 airports participating in the study, six of the airports had small beekeeping operations, two had medium beekeeping operations, and two had large beekeeping operations. The smallest beekeeping operation included just two hives, while the largest included 540 hives. The hives were often spread across multiple apiary locations that were selected based on forage availability, access, and distance from the air operations areas (AOAs) of the airport. Individual apiaries were dedicated to different uses, such as nursing a sick hive back to health, producing honey, or experimenting with rearing disease-resistant queens. In some instances, an airport had leased underutilized airport property to a beekeeping opera- tion; this benefited the airport by providing an initiative that the airport could consider a part of its sustainability program. Other airports provided airport property to beekeeping operations free of charge. Some airports’ beekeeping operations were publicly accessible or visible to visitors or passengers, but the majority indicated a preference for private access to apiaries for the safety of both the airport users and the bees (see Chapter 6). The majority of the beekeeping operations hosted by the participating airports were kept in secluded, underutilized areas of the airport, often where pollinator forage was abundant and the bees were able to thrive. Of the 13 airports that participated in the study, four had established or restored pollinator habitat or had implemented pollinator-friendly land management initiatives, such as reduced mowing frequency or using pollinator-friendly seed mixes, as a part of their pollinator-friendly programs. Although airports were required to maintain existing habitat and other land areas at the airport to reduce hazardous wildlife, unlike DOTs, airports had not widely incorporated pollinator-friendly objectives into their habitat management plans. Several airports in Europe utilized apiaries for environmental monitoring and air quality testing to ensure the airport remained within European Union air quality limitations. Testing was con- ducted to determine the levels of various air pollutants such as heavy metals, volatile organic

12 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports hydrocarbons, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Airports in Europe that used apiaries in this way included Malmö Airport in Sweden, Václav Havel Airport in the Czech Republic, and Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Nuremburg, and Leipzig/Halle Airports in Germany. All of these were able to show that the airports’ air quality levels were within the European Union’s air quality requirements. At the time of this study, airports in the United States were not utilizing apiaries in this way, but rather as a method of community outreach and sustainability promotion. 2.3 Impetus for Starting a Pollinator Program During interviews, those representing participating airports noted that their programs were initiated either by an existing airport staff member (usually someone already working on sustain- ability initiatives) or by a staff member with a special interest in pollinators. In some cases, airport staff members were approached by external beekeepers. For example, at Centennial Airport in Colorado, a Senior Planner/Special Projects Coordinator was inspired to initiate a pollinator-friendly program after she attended the Environmental Leader- ship Program awards event in Colorado in the fall of 2018. She subsequently researched apiaries at other airports, drafted a proposal for a beekeeping operation, and sought internal approval for the program, which was well-received by upper management and approved shortly thereafter. Similarly, at Indianapolis International Airport, the airport’s Senior Finance Director and Trea- surer had a passion for beekeeping but was concerned about being the only person responsible for maintaining the program. He reached out to the White Lick Beekeepers Association and established a partnership that led to the implementation of the airport’s beekeeping operation, which became co-managed by the airport staffer and the White Lick Beekeepers Association president. (Figure 4 shows White Lick beekeepers at work.) Figure 4. Beekeepers from the White Lick Beekeepers Association inspect a full frame of honey (Source: IND, used with permission).

A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports 13   At Wayne County Airport Authority, which manages Detroit Metropolitan Airports, its inter- nal Sustainability Working Group collectively decided to pursue a beekeeping operation when identifying new sustainability programs that could be added to the airports’ ongoing efforts. One of the Sustainability Working Group members had a family member who was a beekeeper; this inspired the creation of a pilot program. By contrast, the beekeeping operation at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport began when a nonprofit, The Common Acre, contacted one of the five publicly elected commissioners of the Port of Seattle to suggest that the airport host a beekeeping operation and an art exhibition on its property to raise awareness of the plight of pollinators. Whether a beekeeping operation was initiated by an internal airport staff member or an external beekeeper, none of the airports reported that their program had demanded new airport staff or placed a substantial amount of additional work on existing staff to maintain it. In the case of beekeeping programs, there are several relationship models that can be pursued between an airport and a beekeeper, offering options airports can consider depending on existing resources and the bandwidth airport staff are able to contribute toward maintaining a beekeeping operation (see Chapter 4). According to the airport representatives interviewed, the key to any successful beekeeping program was to avoid encumbering airport staff by partnering with a beekeeper who was experienced, trustworthy, and could communicate effectively. 2.4 State Transportation Department Initiatives Many state DOTs have incorporated pollinator-friendly objectives into their land manage- ment practices (see Figure 5). These initiatives have been largely driven by the 2014 Presidential Memorandum, “Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators” (the “Presidential Memorandum”), which resulted in the following: • Established the Pollinator Health Task Force, co-chaired by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The task force includes representatives from several U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). Figure 5. Pollinator habitat created by the Connecticut Department of Transportation near a rest area/welcome center (Source: CTDOT, used with permission).

14 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports • Identified the mission and function of the Pollinator Health Task Force and developed a National Pollinator Health Strategy that identified goals, milestones, and metrics. The strategy also included the development of – Pollinator Research Action Plan – Public health plan – Public-private partnerships – Reporting requirements – Increase in and improvement of pollinator habitat • General provisions In accordance with the Presidential Memorandum, the FHWA has developed best practices and other tools to help state DOTs identify opportunities to integrate pollinator-friendly prac- tices into their programs for managing roadside vegetation. The majority of DOTs practice land- scape or vegetation management practices that promote pollinator species (see Table 2). Some DOTs have specific pollinator programs in which the DOT works in partnership with other state agencies or organizations. Others have management practices that support pollinator habitat but are not official programs. The FHWA provides a list of state DOTs with pollinator-friendly practices and information, with links to these state DOT websites. These are included in Table 2, with the addition of other DOTs with similar practices. Four DOTs were included in this study to provide the lessons they have learned that can be applied to airports (see Chapter 5). 2.5 Common Goals of Pollinator-Friendly Programs Study participants were asked to indicate the primary motivation or purpose for developing a pollinator-friendly program at their airport or DOT. The participants were provided with the following five options and could select all that applied: 1. Connect organization with community 2. Showcase sustainability practices 3. Support local beekeepers/farmers 4. Pursue a special interest of an administrator/local official(s)/board/etc. 5. Other State Department of Transportation Arizona DOT Kentucky Transportation Cabinet North Carolina DOT Arkansas DOT Louisiana DOT and Development North Dakota DOT California DOT Maine DOT Ohio DOT Colorado DOT Maryland DOT State Highway Administration Oklahoma DOT Connecticut DOT Massachusetts DOT Oregon DOT Delaware DOT Michigan DOT Pennsylvania DOT Florida DOT Minnesota DOT Tennessee DOT Georgia DOT Mississippi DOT Texas DOT Idaho Transportation Department Missouri DOT Vermont Agency of Transportation Illinois DOT Nebraska DOT Virginia DOT Indiana DOT Nevada DOT Washington state DOT Iowa DOT New Mexico DOT Wisconsin DOT Kansas DOT New York State DOT Source: U.S. DOT, Environmental Tool Kit section: “Pollinators: State DOT Pollinator-Friendly Practices and Information”; various DOT websites. See reference list. Table 2. State transportation departments with pollinator-friendly programs or practices.

A Brief History of Pollinator-Friendly Programs at Airports 15   As shown in Table 3, the majority of participants indicated that options 1, 2, and 3 were the primary goals or motivations that led to the development of their pollinator-friendly programs. Many participants indicated “Other” and opted to write in additional goals or motivations, either in addition to or in place of the options provided by the survey. Airports are introducing pollinator-friendly programs around the world, particularly in North America and Europe, as well as in Japan. There are various methods and reasons for airports to develop a pollinator-friendly program, whether to contribute to an airport’s sustainability plan, engage the community, reduce operational and maintenance costs, or utilize it for environmental monitoring. Goal Number of Survey Responses Connect organization with community 6 Showcase sustainability practices 5 Support local beekeepers/farmers 4 Pursue a special interest of an administrator/local official(s)/board/etc. 1 Steward a healthy, biodiverse environment 3 Sustainable highway land management/pollinator support along highway rights-of-way 2 Required by policy changes at the state or federal level 4 Cost savings from reduced mowing practices 1 Agricultural support 1 Airfield safety/relocating bee swarms 1 Table 3. Goals and motivations leading to pollinator-friendly programs.

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Global reports of bee declines have fueled efforts to reduce threats to pollinators and raise public awareness of bees as pollinators of our food crops and native plants. Some airports have implemented pollinator-friendly practices and programs that restore habitat for bees and bring public awareness and appreciation to these fascinating insects.

The TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Synthesis 119: Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports summarizes experiences and best management practices of pollinator-friendly programs at airports, particularly beekeeping programs and pollinator habitat management programs.

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