For mosaic artist Karen Rycheck (center photo), any giant slab of bare concrete looks like a blank canvas. Last year, she noticed that the outdoor stage between City Hall and the Library could be the perfect place to declare Talent's dedication to vital pollinator insects and the plants that feed them.
"We have this designation," said Karen, referring to
Talent's 2014 declaration as a Bee City USA
(the second in the nation.). "But few people know that we're a Bee City or what that means. I want to make the commitment obvious. Let's stick to that and honor it."
Scores of people apparently agree. Many have taken the project into their own hands, literally, by taking one or more mosaic workshops at Karen's studio in Talent. Under her careful guidance, they have fashioned an explosion of colorful glass and ceramic flowers, often surprising themselves.
For Carol Berger, a retired occupational therapist in Talent, the mosaic has been an opportunity to highlight the importance of flowers and pollinators. "I have a pollinator garden and this project gives me one more opportunity to promote this cause and have a lot of fun at the same time, "she said.
Flowers will express the major theme in a mosaic 32 feet long by 19 inches tall, to be installed on the lower front of Talent's outdoor stage in time for this year's Harvest Festival. It will have the words Bee City USA - Talent blazoned across the front, and will swarm with insects and bees as well as flowers of every imaginable shape and color.
BEE CITY USA NOTE: Bee City USA is especially excited for guest blog posts from our affiliate
cities
and
campuses
.
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The Endangered Species Act & Pollinators
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Yellow-faced bees are Hawaii's only native bee species. As the primary pollinator of the
naupaka
, a beach shrub native to the islands, as they go, so goes the naupaka.
In both cases, arrows point to climate change, invasive plant species, habitat loss, diseases, parasites and pesticides as synergistic contributors to their declines. Nevertheless, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation biologists are hopeful that endangered status will strengthen plans to help the insects.
Rusty-patched bumble bee photo courtesy of Clay Bolt.
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It's Late Summer--Time for Honey Festivals!
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The old saying, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar,"
has been traced back to G. Torriano's "Common Place of Italian Proverbs" and first appeared in the United States in Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac" in 1744. It's fun to overanalyze the saying, but its point is honey is a friend-magnet!
At least four Bee City USA affiliates are having honey festivals this time of year.
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Xerces Events Coming To Your Area
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Xerces has at least one pollinator conservation presentation or workshop somewhere in the country nearly every week. Check our
Events page
for details. Here's an example,
September 26, 2018, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
National Butterfly Center, Mission, TX
Conservation biological control is a science-based pest management strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects back into cropping systems for natural pest control, ultimately reducing and in some cases eliminating the need for pesticides. Join Ray Moranz, Grazing Lands Pollinator Ecologist at the Xerces Society, as he overviews conservation biological control and beneficial predators and parasitoids that attack insect pests. Participants will learn how common farm practices can impact beneficial insects and how to assess and create farm habitat for beneficial insects.
To receive regular Xerces Events announcements, sign up for Xerces's E-News on the
Events page
.
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National Pollinator-Related Dates Coming Soon
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Established days/weeks/months help draw attention to their subject matter and often provide free resources. They also provide Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates with hooks for hosting educational events or promotional media. Here are two upcoming opportunities.
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Small Grant Opportunity for Affiliates
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Nature Works Everywhere, Presented by the Nature Conservancy
Grant applications for K–12 schools: 2019
Many Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates work with K-12 schools. These small grants will support projects that implement green infrastructure to address local environmental challenges. These include: access to healthy food, air quality, heat island effect, climate change, and storm water collection. The goal is to support young people who work as social innovators to help their communities through project design and implementation.
Grants of
$2,000 will be awarded to 50 public or charter schools
across the United States. See the
detailed grant description
for full requirements, guidelines, important dates, and online application information.
Applications must be submitted online by
5 PM ET October 5, 2018.
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Our National Network of
Cities & Campuses Is Growing!
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Welcome to the most recent affiliates to join our network--Boone, North Carolina, and California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California! Check the current
Bee City
and
Bee Campus
pages to see the most up-to-date lists.
The best part of the network is that we teach and learn from one another how to foster pollinator conservation in our communities.
Missed our last newsletter? No worries! You can read it
here
.
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Bee City USA, An Initiative of the Xerces Society | 503-395-5367| beecityusa@xerces.org| www.beecityusa.org
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