Ever since we first heard the term “Colony Collapse Disorder” in 2007, the media has been abuzz with stories about the decline of honey bees and increasingly, pollinators in general. Albert Einstein is often attributed with a quote saying that if bees disappeared, man would also disappear in a few years.
Whether Einstein talked about the role of bees in sustaining life on Earth or not, there is ample research showing that pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 90 percent of wild plant species that, in turn, support a broad diversity of other species. Furthermore, pollinators play a huge role in the security of human food. A 2016 United Nations report stated that while 75 percent of crops depend on pollinators, 40 percent of pollinators are at risk of extinction.
In the face of climate change, prominent scientists around the world, including E.O. Wilson, are appealing to all nations to take drastic measures to preserve as much biodiversity as possible. Pollinators are central to sustaining the diversity of animal and plant species.
The United States honors pollinators each third full week of June during National Pollinator Week. In Asheville, the home of Bee City USA®, we have expanded that week into Pollination Celebration! Month for the entire month of June. Hendersonville, another Bee City USA affiliate, is also hosting Pollination Celebration! Month. Together, the month includes more than 40 events. Here are some highlights of four events, all aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing individual action for pollinators.
The United States honors pollinators each third full week of June during National Pollinator Week. In Asheville, the home of Bee City USA®, we have expanded that week into Pollination Celebration! Month for the entire month of June. Hendersonville, another Bee City USA affiliate, is also hosting Pollination Celebration! Month. Together, the month includes more than 40 events. Here are some highlights of four events, all aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing individual action for pollinators.
First, The North Carolina Arboretum, a Bee Campus USA affiliate, is hosting Winged Wonders: Step into the World of Butterflies from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through October 29. On display inside the Baker Exhibit Center Greenhouse, Winged Wonders is an indoor butterfly exhibit that features a walk-through butterfly house where visitors can meet a whole host of local butterfly species, including monarchs, swallowtails and more. Participants can also witness the miracle of metamorphosis before their very own eyes inside the exhibit’s chrysalis rearing-chamber.
On Saturday, June 17, at 11 a.m., the Renaissance Asheville Hotel and Carolina Native Nursery will present Hometown Habitat, Stories of Bringing Nature Home, a 90-minute environmental education documentary that illuminates how and why native plants are critical to the survival and vitality of local ecosystems. Hometown Habitat features renowned entomologist Dr. Douglas Tallamy, whose research, books and lectures on the use of non-native plants in landscaping, sounded the alarm about habitat and species loss. Dr. Tallamy provides the narrative thread that challenges the notion that humans are here and nature is someplace else. Inspiring stories of community commitment to conservation landscaping illustrate his vision by showing how humans and nature can co-exist with mutual benefits. Admission is free.
On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 18, from 2 – 7 p.m., Blue Ghost Brewing Company in Fletcher and the Asheville & Hendersonville affiliates of Bee City USA will present Bring on the Butterflies! (And the Beer!). Enjoy delicious hand-crafted beer while listening to music under the oak and learning some natural history. There will be crafts and games for the kiddos and a pollinator-themed menu from Olive Catering Company. At 3 p.m., Kim Bailey from Bee City USA will share the fascinating life cycle and migration story of monarchs and will also give tips for inviting these winged wonders into your own backyard. Discover how hop vines and a stale beer concoction (in the rare case you may ever have any stale beer) can help lure in even more fluttery friends.
On Tuesday, June 27, at 6:30 p.m., The Collider and Oskar Blues Brewery will present the documentary film, “Flight of the Butterflies.” It’s an epic and compelling natural history detective story and scientific adventure at its best. It took Dr. Fred Urquhart almost 40 years to discover the monarch butterflies’ secret hideaway and to prove the most incredible migration on Earth. Following the year-long annual migration cycle of the butterflies, the award-winning production team filmed millions of monarchs in their remote overwintering sanctuaries in Mexico in 2011, again in 2012, and also along their migratory routes from Canada, across the U.S. and into Mexico. The movie will be followed by a facilitated conversation with Environmental Educator Kim Bailey. Kim first visited the monarch overwintering sanctuaries in Mexico in 2002, and has since co-led several trips to the area. The Collider is located in downtown Asheville between Haywood Street and Patton Avenue on the fourth floor of the Wells Fargo building.
About the Author
Phyllis Styles is the founder and director of Bee City USA, a national non-profit organization founded in Asheville in 2012 that galvanizes communities and campuses to sustain pollinators by providing them with a healthy habitat rich in a variety of native plants and free to nearly free of pesticides. Learn more at beecityusa.org.
For the full list of activities and details surrounding Pollination Celebration! Month, please visit ashevillegreenworks.org/pollination-celebration. Pollination Celebration! Month photo credit: Kim Bailey.