Bee City USA August E-News
AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT
Ashland, Oregon
A stop on Ashland's 2019 Pollinator Garden Tour. This garden was formerly a lawn!
Ashland is a community of walkers. From our charming downtown to our easily accessed mountain biking and hiking trails, people are afoot. This gives us walkers ample opportunities to chat with our neighbors and an opening to share additional information about which plants work best in Ashland: drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, pollinator-friendly natives that thrive in our decomposed granite soil. We also spot gardens that will likely qualify for our Approved Pollinator Garden Program. We have been known to leave an introductory letter on a doorstep with encouragement for the resident gardener to contact the Bee City USA - Ashland team for more information. 
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Photo: Male learfcutter bee visiting checkermallow
Sara Morris
FUN FACT
A recent paper published in the Journal of Insect Conservation and Diversity found that about 94 percent of wild bee and native plant species networks, meaning the associations between bees and plants, have been lost over the past 125 years.

These declines are due to climate change but also to the increase in non-native plants. You may be thinking this is the opposite of a fun fact, but there's some good news: this research highlights how you can support native bees by planting native flowering species!
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MONTHLY ACTION ITEM
Did you know that around 70% of bees nest in the ground and the other 30% nest in cavities? In the peak of summer it's easy to focus on providing pollinators with floral resources, but it's also important to remember that insects need shelter for nesting and overwintering.

Xerces' new guide, Nesting & overwintering habitat for pollinators & other beneficial insects, is a great resource for learning more about the nesting and overwintering requirements of insects and what you can do to improve the habitat in your yard, garden, or neighborhood.
Photo: Agapostemon virescens excavates it's nest.
Xerces / Sara Morris
OUR NETWORK IS GROWING!
Visit the current Bee City and Bee Campus pages to see the most up-to-date lists of our combined 215 city and campus affiliates in 42 states.

Welcome to the most recent affiliates to join our network:

  • Hahira, Georgia
  • Georgetown University, District of Columbia
NOTEWORTHY NEWS














XERCES PRESENTATIONS & EVENTS
Gardening for Invertebrates: A Xerces Webinar Series
Join Xerces staff for a summer of gardening. Learn about the important role invertebrates play in our world and how you can support them in your backyard and beyond.

These 1-hour programs are offered every first and third Thursday from June through September at 10:00 am PDT / 11:00am MDT / 12 noon CDT / 1:00pm EDT.

Click here for more information and to register.
 
Please note that all of our webinars are recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.  
Bee City USA, An Initiative of the Xerces Society | beecityusa@xerces.org | www.beecityusa.org
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.