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National Pollinator Week, June 18-24th
Brings Action for Vital Pollinators
This June, celebrate the first day of summer by taking part in the 6th Annual Pollinator Week, an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles. The week of June 18-24th will spotlight a unique opportunity to learn about some fascinating and fundamental animals – the pollinators. Often overlooked or misunderstood, pollinators are in fact responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food that we eat. In the U.S. bees alone undertake the astounding task of pollinating over $15 billion in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables. Beginning in 2006, pollinators started to decline rapidly in numbers. Participating in Pollinator Week can help save these important animals.
During the celebration of 2012 Pollinator Week, the Pollinator Partnership has brought to you the first ever pollinator-friendly mobile app - FOR FREE! The BeeSmart™ Pollinator Gardener app is a mobile version of the nationally acclaimed Eco-regional Planting Guides. There’s an app for just about everything these days, but this is the only one dedicated solely to planting for pollinators. With the BeeSmart™ Pollinator Gardener app’s easy user interface, browse through a database of nearly 1,000 native plants!
Filter your plants by what pollinators you want to attract, light and soil requirements, bloom color, and plant type. The BeeSmart™ app is an excellent reference to attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, bats, and other pollinators to the garden, farm, school and every landscape. It is available now for Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod).
Here are some ways you can get involved and kick off your summer by celebrating the 6th Annual Pollinator Week:
• Download the BeeSmart™ Pollinator Gardener at the iTunes Store or Android Market.
• Plant pollinator habitat in your garden, church, farm, school or office.
• Give a BeeSmart™ School Garden Kit to a school of your choice.
• Give a garden tour.
• Coordinate group visits to botanical gardens.
• Cook a pollinated meal for yourself, friends and family or provide pollinated treats for co-workers.
All the information you need is at http://pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2012.htm!
ABOUT POLLINATOR WEEK - Organized by the Pollinator Partnership, National Pollinator Week is a project of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (www.nappc.org). Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership (P2) is the largest 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the health, protection, and conservation of all pollinating animals. For further information on events taking place during Pollinator Week and to download free materials to create your own event, visit www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2012.htm or simply visit www.pollinator.org to donate.
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