Bee City USA, the organization that fosters sustainable habitats for pollinators across the U.S. since 2012, has reached a monumental achievement this week by certifying their 100th affiliate.
Bee City USA was founded in Asheville, North Carolina, and now spans across 66 cities and 34 campuses in 32 states across the continental U.S. Bee City USA also helped to launch Bee City Canada in 2016.
“We feel like we’ve won the lottery,” says Mayor Jacob Day. “Not only are we excited to embark on this new campaign to welcome vital pollinators to Salisbury, we were lucky enough to be the 100th affiliate to be certified. We’re really buzzing now!”
To become a certified Bee City or Bee Campus USA affiliate, cities and institutions must commit to reviewing their landscape design and maintenance plans with pollinators in mind. They must also develop and publish a recommended species list of locally native plants, trees and shrubs, along with an Integrated Pest Management plan that instructs city landscaping staff to seek biological controls for managing pests over toxic, chemical management techniques.
According to Bee City USA founder and director, Phyllis Stiles, “The goal is to allow nature to find balance between predatory and prey insects. While dogs don’t eat dogs, bugs do eat bugs when given the chance!”
Certified Bee Cities and Campuses serve as demonstration sites of pollinator-friendly landscaping for their communities and inspire the public to adopt these same landscaping principles in an effort to improve the environment and reverse the decline of pollinator populations. To learn more about Bee City USA, visit beecityusa.org or email Phyllis Stiles at [email protected].