Bee City USA April 2020 E-News
AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT
Gillette, Wyoming
A Wyoming native bumble bee visits the pollinator friendly Habitat Hero area at the Urban Orchard. Photo: Megan McManamen
Guest Blog by Megan McManamen, ​Committee Chair, Bee Campus USA - Gillette, Wyoming
Campbell County Master Gardener, Keep Gillette Beautiful Steering Committee

Gillette, Wyoming, marked its fourth year as a Bee City USA affiliate by hosting a variety of outreach and education activities for the community, creating and protecting pollinator habitat, and incorporating pollinator conservation into city policies and practices. Gillette community members participate in a variety of conservation programs including Bee City USA, collaborating on activities to reach shared conservation goals. 
Male bees in the genus Andrena snooze in a cluster of apple blossoms. Photo: Tom Potterfield
FUN FACT
Wednesday, April 22, marks 50 years since the first Earth Day. Rachel Carson drew attention to environmental issues and contributed to the establishment of Earth Day. In her book, Silent Spring , Carson wrote:

"The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit."

Earth Week is a fabulous time to celebrate all the hard work that has gone into returning the hum of bees to blossoms and supporting countless other species around the globe as well.
Join the world in celebrating Earth Week by reflecting on the past and making plans to continue conservation work in the future in your own community. You could also look toward neighboring communities. If they are not yet a Bee City or Bee Campus, consider reaching out and encouraging them to begin the process of becoming certified!
JOIN CITIES & CAMPUSES BRINGING THEIR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO PROTECT POLLINATORS
Are you interested in working with your community to reverse pollinator declines and support our (in)valuable native pollinators? Thinking globally and acting locally, Bee City USA provides a framework for communities to come together to conserve native pollinators by providing them with healthy habitat that is rich in a variety of native plants, provides nest sites, and is protected from pesticides.

Learn more about the goals of Bee City USA, benefits to your community, and application process at the link below.
MONTHLY ACTION ITEM
The normal rhythms of life have shifted in the past few weeks and many of us find ourselves at home exploring new ways to engage with the world.

Are you interested in learning more about pollinator ecology and conservation? Visit Xerces' YouTube page to explore our library of presentations and videos.

Learn from Xerces' staff in our six part classroom series , or tune into our invertebrates for youth channel with your kids!
OUR NETWORK IS GROWING!
Check the current Bee City and Bee Campus pages to see the most up-to-date lists of our combined 203 city and campus affiliates in 42 states.

Welcome to the most recent affiliates to join our network:

  • Bladen Community College, North Carolina
  • Luther College, Indiana
  • University of Richmond, Virginia
  • Concordia College, Minnesota
  • Pace University Pleasantville, New York
  • University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Tufts University Medford-Somerville, Massachusetts
  • Elm Grove, Wisconsin
Bee City USA is an initiative of the Xerces Society. Our conservation work is powered by our donors. Your  tax deductible donation  will help us to protect the life that sustains us.
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
XERCES PRESENTATIONS & EVENTS NEAR YOU
To reduce the spread of COVID-19 through our communities Xerces staff will not be traveling to participate in public events in April.

Check Xerces' events page for opportunities to connect with staff remotely and to view a full list of future events.
Bee City USA, An Initiative of the Xerces Society | 503-232-6639 X. 127 | beecityusa@xerces.org | www.beecityusa.org