Bee Healthy Neighborhoods

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jskilby
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:17 am

Bee Healthy Neighborhoods

Post by jskilby » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:27 am

Greetings,

I spent several decades on the western slope on an organic fruit farm and am dismayed that my top bar bee hive in Table Mesa was weakened and was robbed out this fall. I suspect that it has to do with neighbors spraying their landscapes. With the pressure to apply even more pesticides because of Emerald Ash Borer, I'd like to reach out to my neighbors and educate them about the importance of pollinators as well as offer some support for organic landscape management.

I am seeking people who are already working to create pesticide free zones in Boulder or new people would like to reach out in their neighborhoods to create bee healthy zones by educating neighbors about pollinators and pesticides as well as offering support around organic landscaping and pollinator gardens.

Also, the city has a small plot of land at Hartford and Table Mesa they intend to make into a park. I would like the City to hear from a number of us about creating a pollinator friendly one.

Please contact me if you are interested.

Thanks!

Janet Kilby
Table Mesa



Thank you!

donstu
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:29 am

Re: Bee Healthy Neighborhoods

Post by donstu » Thu Dec 19, 2013 4:37 pm

Janet, I am excited to here about your thinking about healthy bees.
Living Systems Institute and Honeybee Keep have been thinking along the same lines and have already started work in this direction. You can check out our plan here:
http://honeybeekeep.com/content/bee-safe-neighborhoods
We emphasize that change happens locally and within our control. We must quit waiting for some corporation to do the right thing or for some government agency to regulate our way to health. We are the ones that can show how this is done.

Website changes are underway, as are brochures and sign up sheets. We have already made 12 swarm traps intended to encourage people to participate. The traps are designed allow easy migration of a captured colony from the trap in a tree to a hive on the ground without much effort. Boxes are interchangeable. Eight frame medium is our standard. This is a substantial investment.

We are also holding our third annual hive build which will be building interchangeable hives and we will be encouraging people participating to become Bee Safe Neighborhood coordinators.

If you wish to get involved, please contact me at [email protected] or using 303-248-6677. ... dons

jskilby
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:17 am

Re: Bee Healthy Neighborhoods

Post by jskilby » Fri Dec 20, 2013 10:40 am

Your website looks fabulous! Just what I've been mulling over, only better. Boulder folks, who would be interested in reaching out to our neighbors with the support of the materials offered at http://honeybeekeep.com/content/bee-safe-neighborhoods ??

Backyard Bees
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:52 am

Re: Bee Healthy Neighborhoods

Post by Backyard Bees » Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:33 am

Hi, Janet!

I was part of a group for awhile called the Coalition 4 Bees that hosted pro-pollinator educational events in Boulder. We have since disbanded but I'm happy to share our resources and contacts with you.

Some of the projects we did:

• Collaborated with Pesticide Action Network (PAN) to create and distribute Honey Bee Haven yard signs http://www.honeybeehaven.org/content/ge ... -yard-sign
• Hosted an information booth about pesticides and pollinators at local garden centers
• Produced a beekeepers' flash mob on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall in celebration of National Pollinator Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttGWq7U ... -fyY4L28hw

I still have some Honey Bee Haven yard signs in storage They are super-cute and great for starting a conversation about pesticides in your neighborhood. Here's my contact info if you'd like to connect: http://www.backyardbees.com/contact.shtml

Laura
Backyard Bees
P.O. Box 7426
Boulder, Colorado 80306
http://www.BackyardBees.com

jskilby
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:17 am

You are invited to Bee Healthy Neighborhoods

Post by jskilby » Fri Dec 27, 2013 7:31 pm

You are invited to my home at 1571 Judson Drive at 10 AM on Saturday, January 4th to learn how to make your neighborhood Bee Safe one for our families and our pollinators. We can reduce health risks for people and pollinators living in neighborhoods by establishing greatly reduced or pesticide free zones. Two items will be covered:

1. Nancy Griffith of Bee Safe Neighborhoods | Living Systems Institute / Honeybee Keep / Nice World will present a model for approaching neighbors in an outreach to reduce or eliminate pesticide use and to increase pollinator plantings. Our focus is friendly, listening based, educational outreach which offers tools to make it easier for people to consider going pesticide free.

After hearing the presentation, if you decide you would like to approach your neighbors, we will have sample print outs and electronic links to information to support you such as:
brochure on the importance of pollinators;
list of neonicotinoids and related systemics so people can check labels;
list of plants that support pollinators and make lovely landscape additions;
handout on cancer and pesticides, especially child health
list of eco friendly garden centers or landscape management companies
a pledge sheet to track address of people committed to a pollinator friendly yard.

We hope you will decide to join us the adopting the goal for your neighborhood of reaching 75 contiguous homes pledged to Bee Safe. Bring a neighbor or a few from your area and we can work as teams. Many hands make light work, as they say!

Finally, in midsummer, anyone from our January gathering who has collected pledges to create a Bee Safe Neighborhoods will be invited to a mid summer picnic to celebrate our success.

We will also provide an update on the status Mesa Park at Hartford and Table Mesa in Boulder. Discussion will center around promoting a family and pollinator healthy park design.

We are planning a quick and concise meeting with plenty of written handouts to support your efforts. We expect the business to be done by 11, but if you wish to stay to network until noon, you are welcome to do so. Please do RSVP so I know how much tea and goodies to provide. Janet Kilby at [email protected]

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