CATCH THE BUZZ – Pollinator Week Proclamations Span the United States and Galvanize Citizens.

Pollinator Partnership (P2), which founded Pollinator Week in 2007, announced today that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, as well as ALL 50 state governors (and many mayors), have signed proclamations supporting the observance of National Pollinator Week. In addition, more than 350 events (breaking all previous records) across North America and the world are registered through P2’s Pollinator Week web site.

Bees, butterflies, birds, and beetles that support 90% of flowering plants – including over 1000 crop plants that humans rely on for their food, are facing threatened futures that require immediate human intervention.  Across the planet, celebrations, planting sessions, garden and farm walks and marches mark Pollinator Week 2019 (June 17-23), the thirteenth consecutive year of bringing greater awareness to the critically important issue of pollinator conservation.

Laurie Davies Adams, President and CEO of Pollinator Partnership, noted that ” Pollinator Week gets people talking and acting – making sure that every landscape is shared with pollinating species everywhere and that we provide habitat, eliminate all chemical impacts, and reduce the pathogens, parasites, and climate challenges that contribute to the deaths of pollinating species.”

Pollinators bring us 1 in 3 bites of food; promote ecosystem health; and lay the foundation for a sustainable future. While we are seeing some signs of the benefits of conservation efforts, many species of pollinators are in grave peril. Communities throughout the world celebrate Pollinator Week by organizing local events such as native plants sales, beekeeping classes, pollinator themed meals or mixers, and more! As a result of P2’s coordination, eleven major landmarks will be lit up in pollinator colors this week including The Baltimore City Hall, the San Francisco City Hall, Niagara Falls, and CN Tower. In addition, P2 is co-hosting a variety of events in Washington, D.C., including a Congressional briefing held by the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, and a reception at the American Society of Landscape Architects headquarters, with its beautiful rooftop garden as a focal point. Get more information and resources at http://www.pollinator.org/pollinatorweek.

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