I receive emails from the University of Minnesota Bee and Pollinator Research Lab. The lab sent out their TOP TEN HEALTHY BEE RESOLUTIONS FOR 2020, which I would like to share. You can make a difference in our environment, and thank a pollinator by doing just one of these resolutions in 2020!
1. Plant bee friendly flowers - lots of them.
2. Make your lawn more bee friendly. Find out more here. You can apply for state funding by Jan 10th through the Lawns to Legumes program.
3. Avoid using pesticides (fungicides, insecticides, herbicides) for cosmetic purposes. Find out more here.
4. Provide nesting areas for native bees by leaving undisturbed areas or brush piles. Learn more here.
5. If you are a beekeeper, help us monitor mite loads by participating in Mitecheck.
6. Support the Bee Lab’s research and outreach with a year-end gift.
7. If you live in the Twin Cities, help us monitor bumble bee communities by participating in the MN Bumble Bee Survey.
8. If you are anywhere in North America, pick up your camera and share photos of bumble bees with the Bumble Bee Watch.
9. Know your bee numbers and share them widely! How many bee species live in your state?
10. Connect the dots!
Diverse pollinator habitat: nourished soil: reduced erosion: increased water quality: diverse birds and wildlife: resiliency of ecosystems: buffer climate change.