News — Blog

Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. 1. Why bees are critical for achieving sustainable development.  Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment - This article explores bees' contributions towards achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are the blueprint for achieving a better, more sustainable future for all people on the planet. The article shows the crucial role bees play in meeting the SDGs through providing: 1) quantity and quality of food, 2) nutrition and medicine, 3) inclusive communities, 4) biofuels, 5) forest conservation and regrowth, 6)...

Did you know there are over 20,000 known bee species globally, and 4,000 of those species live in North America? The smallest, Perdita minima, is less than two millimeters long! Each species is unique and pollinates different plants at different times. For instance, mason bee species are essential for blueberry and raspberry pollination, while squash bees are the best for squash and pumpkins. While not every bee you see is a super-pollinator, all of them combined are important in helping our diversity of plants thrive. But, the bees need our help. Many populations are declining due to habitat loss, heavy pesticide use, climate...

As a new Crown Bees employee, one of the first organizations I connected with was the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, which oversees the P-Patch Community Garden Program. As part of a group project in college, I learned that P-Patch community gardens provide a vital space to grow culturally significant food not easily found in grocery aisles. I wanted the P-Patch gardens to be aware that they qualify for our Community Garden program which provides public and educational gardens with the pollination they need while teaching the public about our native hole-nesting bees.   Bonnie Hedman has been the lead gardener at the UpGarden,...