Bee-a-thon 2011 – Taking World by Swarm
July 16, 2011 – Noon to Midnight Eastern Time
Citizens, Science and Social Media Join Together to Kick Off The Great Bee Count July 16

On July 16th, from noon to midnight, YourGardenShow.com is presenting Bee-a-thon 2011, the first-ever, free online “town hall” event broadcasting live to a worldwide audience to shed light on the plight of our disappearing bee populations.

Bees and pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food and contribute billions of dollars to global economies, so their dwindling numbers affect everyone.

The Bee-a-thon live online event brings together top bee experts and environmental players with backgrounds in science, activism, conservation, arts and education who will be interacting with viewers via a user-friendly live chat area and providing inspiring ways to help the bees this summer.

People will be tuning in to the event for anywhere between 12 minutes or 12 hours, from living rooms, gardens, mobile devices and “backyard bee parties.”

PRESS RELEASE: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/news16
Twitter hashtag: #iseebees

Five years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of the final week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. 

In just three years Pollinator Week has grown to be an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.

The growing concern for pollinators is a sign of progress, but it is vital that we continue to maximize our collective effort.  The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture signs the proclamation every year.

http://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_beauty_of_pollination.html

This is an exquisite 7-minute clip on so much more than pollination. The presenter, Louie Schwartzberg, asks the question, “What motivates the pollinators?”  Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch offered the explaination, “Nothing lasts forever, everything eventually wears out.” This is a question about life itself and the imagery of the film clip is a wonderful journey in that.

One commenter posted, “I am saddened to realize that most of the pollinators in these clips are seriously threatened – The honey bees by hive collapse syndrome, the bats by a fungus, the butterflies by habitat loss.”  I think that’s a pretty key obersvation.

As we get out into our gardens this spring, we have a nice opportunity to do some native plantings. 

Native bees are one of our most important pollinators and they’re really incredible to watch. 

As you start observing them you’ll also start to recognize different species that we have here in Loudoun – there are lots of different species!

The Xerces Society has put together a nice tip-sheet on plants that are great for our native bees.

Beautiful for your garden, great for the bees!  You can download it here.

While it says Delaware in the title, most of the plants listed in here are also native to our area so it’s a nice reference for Mid-Atlantic states. 

I especially like how it has not only color photos and descriptions of plants but also the different types of beesthat will be attracted – not just honey bees but also leafcutter bees, carpenter bees, orchard mason bees, bumblebees and more.

Bees are so important to our entire ecosystem, and as one person put it, “Bees are not optional.” 

Through our gardening and our nature explorations we can both learn about the wide variety of bees and the roles they play around us.

You can download the publication here.

Here’s their summary: 

“The work of bees and other pollinators is something that touches us all through the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the landscapes we enjoy.

Attracting Native Pollinators offers a window onto the fascinating lives of these insects and provides detailed information about how you can care for these vital animals wherever you live.

Whether you are an urban gardener, a suburban park manager, a working farmer, or caring for a nature reserve Attracting Native Pollinators has something for you.”

You can also check out their website for more information on both the book and other tips and information on butterflies, bees and other interesting wildlife.

They have excellent wildlife habitat and planting guides that you can download for free that are specific to our area. To go directly to the guides, visit their page called Ecological Planting Guides, enter your zip code and a map as well as the pdf file will come up.

There are also two excellent YouTube videos on the site that you’ll want to watch.  They’re really informative and talk about the role that bees, butterflies, bats and birds play in our food chain.

We can do so much just in our own backyards by planting the right types of plants, using wise practices (like not using pesticides), and talking to others about the wild nature around us. We’re all connected, and truly more so that most people realize.

For teachers, homeschoolers as well as anyone else interested in learning even more about pollinators, they have a page called Useful Resources that has nature activities for kids, educational curriculum focused on nature, lesson ideas, and more.

Just in case you have trouble with the pdf downloads, I’ll post two of the guides here, but I highly recommend doing the search on your zip code from their site too.

Pollinator Partnership Guide: Central Appalachian

Pollinator Partnership Guide: Southeast Mixed Forest