Bee City USA June E-News
AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT
Blue Ridge Community College, North Carolina
Photo: Carol Ann Lydon
Blue Ridge Community College, located in Flat Rock, North Carolina, became a Bee Campus USA affiliate in 2017, two years after neighboring Hendersonville’s achieved Bee City USA certification. The two affiliates have collaborated on pollinator conservation events, outreach, and activities ever since. Blue Ridge recognizes the importance of all pollinators to the reproduction of the region’s crops as well as the diverse native flora of North Carolina. Read the full blog to learn about the ways in which the college has integrated pollinator conservation into many aspects of life on campus!
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We Speak Their Names:
Statement of Solidarity for Racial Justice
Conservation organizations, including the Xerces Society, have an obligation to unequivocally condemn racism in all its forms and to work towards an equitable, livable future for all.
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This female Helenium autumnale in the genus Triepeolus is a cuckoo bee. Photo: Xerces / Sara Morris
FUN FACT
Did you know that there are cuckoo bees that like cuckoo birds lay eggs in the nests of other species?

Are you interested in learning more about pollinators and how you can protect them? We're creating a webinar series for current affiliates and those interested in learning more about the program. As we plan the series we would love to hear from you about what topics and questions you are most exited to learn about.

Fill out our short survey to help guide our webinar series.
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MONTHLY ACTION ITEM
As we move into a summer that looks quite different than we had expected, many affiliates are finding creative ways to adapt their planned events and activities.

Some ideas we've heard include hosting talks and presentations online rather than in person, sharing films and following up with online discussions, and hosting virtual pollinator garden tours.

You may also enjoy joining Xerces staff for our summer webinar series, gardening for invertebrates , or checking out our online educational resources . If you'd rather step away from your screen and spent some time outside, try assessing habitat near your home from a pollinator's perspective with our new urban habitat assessment guide !
Photo: Justin Wheeler
OUR NETWORK IS GROWING!
Visit the current  Bee City   and   Bee Campus   pages to see the most up-to-date lists of our combined 207 city and campus affiliates in 42 states.

Welcome to the most recent affiliates to join our network:

  • Village of Port Barrington, Illinois
  • Grapevine, Texas
  • University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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.