Capital Buzz: Carson City becomes the 76th Bee City USA in nation
The Carson City Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to become a Bee City USA. This completed the efforts of the Great Basin Beekeepers of Nevada and Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space to accomplish this certification.
Bee City USA is an initiative of The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a national nonprofit organization.
Bee City USA’s mission is to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants and free to nearly free of pesticides.
Imperiled pollinators like honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies, moths, bats, hummingbirds, and others are responsible for the reproduction of ninety percent of the world’s wild plant species and one in every three bites of food we consume.
Mayor Bob Crowell said, “You said it [pollinator conservation] was really important; it’s probably critically important. Pollinators are a critical component of the natural resources we have. The more information we can get out that bees are our friends, the better. And they really are our friend.”
“The program aspires to make people more PC, also known as pollinator conscious, that is. If lots of individuals and communities begin planting native, pesticide-free flowering trees, shrubs, and perennials, it will create large-scale change for thousands of species of pollinators at risk," said Bee City USA founder, Phyllis Stiles. "How each city or county celebrates pollinators is up to them, but we especially encourage educational programs for children, like school gardens. When a child falls in love with pollinators, they are friends for life.”
A designated Bee City USA is expected to annually celebrate being a Bee City USA community with a proclamation and public awareness activities; publicly acknowledge commitment to the program through signage and web links; annually report activities to Bee City USA to renew the certification.
Carson City has designated the Carson City Bee City Committee, under the Great Basin Beekeepers of Nevada, the facilitating committee for Carson City’s efforts to engage the community in promoting pollinator conservation.
This Committee meets quarterly, with the first meeting scheduled for Jan. 9, 2019, at 10 a.m. at the Carson City Community Center, Bonanza Room and invites all residents of Carson City to come to offer their ideas for pollinator-friendly initiatives. The more people and organizations involved, the sooner pollinator declines will be reversed.
For more information about Bee City USA visit www.beecityusa.org or email beecityusa@xerces.org. For more information about the Carson City Bee City USA program, contact Gillian Melor at buzzbuzzgbbn@gmail.com or visit www.carson.org.
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