Three Things You Can Do for Bees

I was just flipping through this month’s National Wildlife magazine, and I saw this fascinating article on America’s bees.

Bees and other pollinators are disappearing from our country due to a variety of threats to their habitat and climate. And while we depend on bees to pollinate more than two-thirds of our crops, we’re not the only ones who stand to lose. Think about grizzly bears–they’re counting on bees to pollinate the fruit, nuts, and plants that make up their diet.

We need bees; bears need bees; birds need bees… So in honor of National Pollinators Week, here are three things you can do to protect our nation’s bees, butterflies and bats:

ONE: Help protect bees from global warming.

Global warming has been playing havoc with nature’s timing. For the past thirty years or so, pollinators like the Milbert’s tortoiseshell butterfly have been showing up before the flowers are in bloom. According to biologist David Inouye, global warming is causing pollinators and plants to “lose the synchronicity they once had.”

Pollinators like bees, bats and butterflies are a crucial part of any ecosystem–not to mention a fascinating part of our natural world.

TWO: Share a photo of your favorite pollinators

Join us on Flickr, and check out all the great photos of bats, butterflies, and of course bumble bees.

THREE: Tell Your Friends

Bzzz. Thinking about the best way to help bees and bats thrive during #pollinate week: http://bit.ly/OFWzi

Let your friends and family know that you’re thinking about the bees and butterflies that keep our world going strong!