Is your community one of the 100 Bee Cities in the country? Communities in the United States are implementing policies and guidelines to protect the pollinators. Some Bee Cities include…
Urban Green Spaces: cities all around the world are planting gardens to promote biodiversity and pollinator populations. And it works. A study done in 2008 showed that after planting a garden in Chicago, a new bee species showed up...one that was never found in Illinois. In New York State, 13% of the bee population can be found in New York City.
Plant Host Plants: Host plants and Nectar plants are basically the nurseries for caterpillars to metamorphosize to butterflies. It’s common to find eggs and larvae on these plants. By having more Host plants, like milkweed or fennel, around your town, your pollinators will surely be happy.
Carbon Sequestering Grass: Carbon Sequestration is capturing and storing carbon dioxide; it can be used through planting trees and grass. Since carbon dioxide decreases the amount of protein found in pollen, pollinators are also negatively impacted by it. Your community can plant more trees and grass on county lands, like parks.
Limit Pesticide Use: through limiting pesticide use, you can truly help the pollinators, as mentioned above. But why stop pesticide use in just your garden when you can limit it in your entire community?
Conserve Habitats for nesting and egg laying: when you conserve your communities land, like shrubs, tall grasses and low growing plants, you give the pollinators a perfect place to raise their children, keeping their population up.