2 MILLION BLOSSOMS
As president of the Bee Society, Bandanza wants more than an Organic Demonstration Garden populated with typ- ical ornamental plants. She foresees the garden as a new home - birds. To attract them, she’s inter- types of blueberry bushes, Mexican native milkweeds in amongst the The Bee Society celebrates the symbiotic relationship humans have with bees through awareness campaigns such as Bee Week, bee- keeping lessons and documentary screenings. “We’re looking forward to educating the students and com- munity about pollinator conserva- tion. It’s something everyone will will carry the knowledge with them wherever they go.” At Blue Ridge Community Col-
lege in Hendersonville, North Car- olina, maintenance crews pride themselves on creating im- maculate lawns and green spaces, keeping the expanses on the campus well trimmed and free of weeds. When the community college embraced becoming a Bee
Campus, they ran into some opposition. When you’re used to seeing perfectly mown lawns, a pollinator friendly land- scape looks weedy and unkempt. Carol Ann Lydon, director of the Bee Campus project, understood she had to reframe that mindset. “This year, we’re going to post a lot of signage that ex-
plains why we’re not mowing, pulling weeds or using pesti- cides. The bees need the dandelions! The signage will not only educate the students and employees but also visitors who come on our campus everyday.” Bee Cities and Bee Campuses pepper the scenery with a -
ers, shrubs and native grasses adorn and enhance urban com- munities. Senses are awakened from the heady aromas and the panorama of colors dotting the landscapes.
Success is not only measured by
Create Pollinator Corridors!
Many bee species never travel more than 100 yards from where they were “born,” so all of their needs have to be met close by. Neighbors with small yards can provide connecting fragmented habitat.
the number of gardens but through inspiring local communities to ap- preciate our pollinators.
Celebrating Our Pollinators Pollinator week is a busy time in
Hendersonville. So busy, events spill into a month long celebration with indoor and outdoor events ranging from presentations on how to create pollinator gardens and hands-on ac- tivities at the children’s museum, to garden and beekeeping tours – along with lots of food. Restaurants feature delecta- ble dishes provided by pollinators. Menus would be pretty sparse with only wind pollinated foods. Imagine a plate of pasta without a luscious bolognese or vegetable laden sauce
smothering the noodles—Italian cuisine just wouldn’t be the same without tomatoes, herbs and cheese. The bakery display tempts customers with cranberry
- linators in growing the cranberries and supporting the dairy industry through bee pollinated clover, a staple feed for milk cows. Patrons discover we need our pollinators for the vanil- - ey chocolate chunk cookies, and birthday cakes. National Honey Bee Day accentuates a specialty for
which the mountainous region around Hendersonville is fa- crowds as spoonfuls of the sweet treat tickle the taste buds. From the earthy brown sourwood honey to the amber toned - duction and appreciate the hard work of the humble honey bee.
In western North Carolina, during the month of Septem-
ber, migrating monarchs pass through the area on their 3,000 mile trek to Mexico. Monarch populations have decreased from 556 million in 2004 to a historic low of 33.5 million in
Decatur photographer Angela Wynne leads a pollinator photo safari during national Participants learned to identify and photograph insect pollinators.
52
© Peter Helfrich
© Amy Yarger
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
