Pollinator Partnership Prepares for an Action-Packed (and Physically Distant) Pollinator Week
Pollinator Week 2020 (June 22-28) is the thirteenth consecutive year of bringing greater awareness to the critically important issue of pollinator conservation since Pollinator Partnership (P2) founded the initiative in 2007. While this year might not be a typical Pollinator Week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the planet have pledged to continue promoting pollinator health and well-being through socially distant and responsible events.
Through the numerous virtual gatherings, webinars, responsible planting sessions, socially distant garden and farm walks, and monument lightings, Pollinator Week 2020 is geared to be the busiest and best one yet! Over 30 state governors and many mayors of cities and townships across the US and Canada have signed proclamations supporting the observance of Pollinator Week. In addition, for the first time in any administration, the EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, has signed an agency wide proclamation for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, joining Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “Pollinators are vital to both our agricultural food supply and a healthy environment,” said EPA Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “Protecting pollinators requires the work of dedicated people across the nation, and we are proud to partner with Pollinator Partnership to achieve our shared goals.” Laurie Davies Adams, President and CEO of Pollinator Partnership, noted that “P2 anticipates great things this week for pollinator health and discussions about how to support them. Our approach of inclusiveness and collaboration is helping promote dialogue across all sectors of land management in North America.”
The continent will be buzzing with events that will be happening throughout the week:
Monday, June 22
• P2 will be working with Botanical Interests and running a Pollinator Week Giveaway on social media with prizes of limited-edition posters, t-shirts, and pollinator seeds.
• P2 and the EPA will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to build on their relationship and to include the development of new approach methods to improve bee health and to increase their work together for pollinator sustainability.
• Ms. Adams and P2 Director of Programs and Operations Kelly Rourke will be featured on the Beekeeping Today Podcast and will talk about P2 programs that are leading the way in pollinator conservation.
• Kelly Rourke and Lori Makarick, National Park Service, will hold a P2/NPS webinar at 10 am PDT – in part to celebrate an agreement signed by Todd Suess, Chief of Biological Resources Division, NPS and Laurie Adams during Pollinator Week between the two organizations to support pollinator work in National Parks across America.
Tuesday, June 23
• Laurie Davies Adams will be speaking about P2’s Bee Friendly Farming program in a Project Apis m. Webinar which will kick off a full series about smart farming, bee forage, and cover crops in California.
Friday, June 26
• Bee+ Webinar: P2’s Isaac Lisle will be speaking about Bee Friendly Farming in an Almond Board of California webinar, highlighting the registration process. Join at 9:00 am PDT. RSVP: bit.ly/37GWPpp
• P2 and Qcify, an innovative AI quality control technology that helps almond growers, will appear in a Facebook Live Event in celebration of the successful Qcify Bee Friendly Farming fundraising campaign and will be unveiling a significant donation that will be made to the Bee Friendly Farming Program to improve sustainability and pollinator health in almond orchards. Check it out at 12 noon PDT.
Throughout the Week
• Landmarks across the US and Canada will be lit in pollinator colors (yellow and orange) including multiple building lightings in Orlando, San Francisco City Hall, Niagara Falls, and the Toronto 3D sign.
• The 2020 Pollinator Poster “Our Future Flies on Pollinators” by stellar artist Fiorella Ikeue is available online at https://www.pollinator.org/poster-2020. Explore the poster online in the interactive “poster map” or order a version of your own!
• Want a recipe for a successful garden? Check out the NEW North American Pollinator Protection Campaign Garden Recipe Cards – all the ingredients you need to plan and plant a successful pollinator garden. You’ll find them at https://www.pollinator.org/gardencards.
• Visit the Pollinator Week Website at https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week and view the map that highlights everything going on for Pollinator Week – including the launch of our exciting “My Pollinators; My Story” feature that asks you to tell the world about your pollinator garden. Find it at https://www.pollinator.org/mpgcmap/mpgcsurvey.
Pollinator Week shines a spotlight on the vital role of pollinators in our agriculture and ecosystems. 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 still in grave peril. As a result of P2’s commitment and coordination of Pollinator Week, people across North America are motivated to help pollinators, and this is represented in the enthusiastic response that Pollinator week evokes. More information is at http://www.pollinator.org/pollinatorweek.
ABOUT POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2) Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the health, protection, and conservation of all pollinating animals. P2’s actions for pollinators include education, conservation, restoration, policy, and research. P2’s financial support comes through grants, gifts, memberships and donations from any interested party. P2’s policies are science-based, set by its board of directors, and never influenced by any donor. To make a donation or for information on events during Pollinator Week visit www.pollinator.org
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