michigan_bee

Ypsilanti Area Looks to Get Michigan’s First Bee City Designations

Over the last year alone, the planet's bee population has dropped by 42 percent.

That's a significant issue given the role pollinators play in the ecosystem, says Jamie Berlin, founder of the beekeeping group Ypsi Melissa, and she has set out to increase their population and raise awareness of the challenges they face.

While there are a wide range of issues behind pollinators' decline – the increased use neonicotinoid pesticides in agriculture, habitat loss, disease, residential pesticide use and pests among them – changes can be made at a grass roots level, and the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township are partnering with Berlin and Ypsi Melissa to help promote the issue and increase the population.

July 7, 2015 | Source: MLive | by Tom Perkins

Over the last year alone, the planet’s bee population has dropped by 42 percent.

That’s a significant issue given the role pollinators play in the ecosystem, says Jamie Berlin, founder of the beekeeping group Ypsi Melissa, and she has set out to increase their population and raise awareness of the challenges they face.

While there are a wide range of issues behind pollinators’ decline – the increased use neonicotinoid pesticides in agriculture, habitat loss, disease, residential pesticide use and pests among them – changes can be made at a grass roots level, and the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township are partnering with Berlin and Ypsi Melissa to help promote the issue and increase the population.

In Ypsilanti Township, the Board of Trustees approved moving forward with applying to become a designated “Bee City,” approved installing 10 hives outside its township hall and will plant a bed of sunflowers and other local flowers that are attractive to bees.

In the city of Ypsilanti, the Ypsilanti City Council read a proclamation declaring its intent to apply for designation as a Bee City, though it’s still awaiting that approval.

Berlin said partnering with the municipalities is a great opportunity to educate residents on the issues around pollinators and get people more involved.

“In terms of cities and municipalities, one of the issues is just continuing to raise awareness, and when a community comes together and works together to protect pollinators, that helps proliferate education,” she said. “It’s important to do everything we can as individuals, but also to then band together and start working with institutions so we can make an impact …. and increase the population. It’s a matter of responding.”

The township will become the eleventh municipality nationwide to be designated as Bee City,

The township and city – if its application is approved – will form subcommittees that Berlin says will lay the groundwork for increasing available information, will create opportunities for the community to take action, and hold an annual celebration.

But Ypsilanti Township is taking the effort a step further. It allotted $4,500 to install an apiary on the east side of the township hall with hives, a water source, sunflowers and native perennials.

Plans include offering classes at the apiary and getting community members engaged in learning and caring for the hives, as well as offering educational activities for kids, though that may not be possible until next season.

Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo said the township is working on changing fertilizers and fungicides it uses on its properties that may be detrimental to pollinators, as well as beginning to educate residents and businesses on the issue.

“This is something that we as a township can do for a minimal cost and help others learn how have bee hives and be a part of a solution. It starts small but can have a tremendous impact on our community,” said Ypsilanti Township Clerk Karen Lovejoy Roe.

Changing pesticides and increasing food sources like the native, perennial flowers are two of the easiest ways for residents to help, Berlin says.

Many of the pesticides, like Round Up or those produced by Bayer, contain neoictinoids and are easily accessible at home and garden stores. Berlin said the best way for residents to avoid them is to read labels. But she advocates natural and organic methods, like simply pulling weeds or using white vinegar to kill them.

“We really hope to continue to educate on the consequences of pesticides on the ecosystem, and increase education on alternatives,” Berlin said. “Also a lot of the plants that are pollinators are native, perennials, easy to maintain and care for, so we hope to show people that they can save money be kind to environment while increasing the number of spaces that serve pollinators.”