Pollinators are vital to our lives, so let’s celebrate them!

It’s officially the seventh annual Pollinator Week, an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.

Without the actions of pollinators’ agricultural economies, our food supply—and surrounding landscapes—would collapse. This is a week to get the importance of pollinators’ message out to as many people as possible!

Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by the Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems. The U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture signs the proclamation every year.

Press Stunts and Toxic Pesticides

Pesticide companies design products that kill. And after seven consecutive years of colony collapse disorder and global bee deaths, it’s been proven that systemic pesticides are at the root of their demise. Systemics also effect other pollinators, creatures as well human beings.

Rather than take accountability for this environmental catastrophe and pull these poisons from the market, giant bio tech companies like Bayer focus on PR to divert attention. Case in point, Bayer is set to conclude their 2014 “Bee Care Tour”  a final stop in Washington, DC with a pollinator patch planting, exhibit at Union Station and Congressional reception.

“Unfortunately, this tour is part of a well-orchestrated PR spin to try to divert public attention from the harms of pesticides to pollinators,” says Larissa Walker, Policy & Campaign Coordinator at Center for Food Safety.  “Rather than putting time and resources towards curbing the harms of bee-toxic chemicals, pesticide manufacturers are instead investing heavily in camouflage and misdirection.”

The growing concern for pollinators is a sign of progress, but it is vital that we continue to maximize our collective effort. It’s not too early to start thinking about an event at your school, garden, church, store…

Here are some activities you can partake in to help educate people about our pollinators, especially our honeybees.

♦   Host a screening of the award-winning film, Vanishing of the Bees, serve some organic veggies, and have a lively debate.

♦    Wear a Bee the Change tee shirt, as featured in Lucky Magazine, and make a bold statement. Change begins with us!

♦    Click here to find an event in your area.

♦    Attend one of the daily Twitter chats June 16 through June 20th: 10am PT/1pm ET—a range of pollinator topics will be explored. Join the conversation online with the hashtag #pollinatorchat. 

      Daily topics will be:

Mon—Importance of bees & other pollinators
Tue —What can we do to help bees?
Wed—“Beewashing” & Bayer’s bee care tour
Thu—Stories from the hive: A conversation with beekeeper Jim Doan
Fri—Birds, bats, and butterflies

♦    Check out HoneyColony.com for bee-friendly products!

Enter the Green Divas / Honey Colony Pollinator week giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bonus:

Listen to my Green Divas Radio Show interview…

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