Colorado Community Pollinator Corridor
Join Simply Bee Conservation's
Community of Colorado Pollinator Conservation Habitats connecting to the "Colorado Community Pollinator Corridor"
Bee a part of our growing community of Colorado pollinator conservation habitats! We will support you in cultivating pollinator habitat and a wildflower sanctuary for native pollinators on your land. In partnership with the flowers, you are helping to support native pollinator population restoration.
Simply Bee Conservation, with the support of Boulder County's sustainability fund and local community members' donations, is creating pollinator habitats with our neighbors and organizations across Colorado with the goal of connecting our community members and their habitats into a pollinator corridor with sufficient density to support the rejuvenation of dwindling native bee and pollinator populations.
Contact us to create a pollinator habitat at your home, in your neighborhood, on your farm, community garden, school, educational organization, senior living centers, HOA's, neighborhoods, parks, non-profits, corporate offices, local parking lots, apartment balcony, etc.
Contact us today to get started
How we support you:
For our neighbors:
- For a tax deducible donation to Simply Bee Conservation a 501c3 you will receive:
- Native Bee House or Pollinator Hotel for safe cavity-nesting bees, lady bugs, and other pollinators
- An array of year round flowering native pollinator seeds
- Personalized advice for creating your pollinator habitat
- A striking sign denoting your organization as one of many in a network of contributors to native bee conservation and climate change action
- You have the option to be added to our community pollinator corridor map showing the range of our community's bees
- Advice on registering your neighborhood as a pollinator friendly neighborhood
- We will educate you on how to become a citizen scientist and gather data on native bees so scientists can better understand our bee populations and how to help.
- We may provide medicated bee feeders depending on supply
For community groups
- Receive a Native Bee House or Pollinator Hotel for safe cavity nesting-bees, ladybugs, and other pollinators
- Receive an array of year round flowering native pollinator seeds
- Help in establishing your pollinator habitat
- We will be happy to hold native bee talks and workshops on our property for your community or community outreach events. We will educate your community on bees, natural beekeeping, the environmental issues surrounding bees, environmental stewardship, and most importantly what you can do to help Save The Bees.
- Receive a striking sign denoting your organization as one of many in a network of contributors to native bee conservation and climate change action
- We will educate you on how to become a citizen scientist and gather data on native bees so scientists can better understand our bee populations and how to help.
- We may provide medicated bee feeders depending on supply
What you can achieve:
- Support for our native pollinator population restoration
- Cultivate higher yields in your garden or farm through the cultivation of a biodiverse workforce of more efficient pollinators or simply contribute to native bee conservation supporting our native flora which in turn supports our native fauna. US tomato growers report 50% more tomatoes and larger healthier sizes using bumble bees to pollinate their
- Cultivate higher populations of beneficial insects decreasing pest plant damage
- Pride in contributing to ecological conservation
- Community recognition and advertising for your active participation in ecological conservation and climate change efforts
Natives are more efficient pollinators:
Native bees pollinate 20x's more efficient at pollination than European honey bees. You may wonder how this is possible. Taking the native mason bees as an example, they wake up earlier than our beloved honey bees. Beeing solitary bees they make their nests close to their flower averaging 300' away from their foraging areas. Mason bees collect pollen in a messy manner, landing willy-nilly on a flower with their hair bodies spreading pollen everywhere. While honey bees are delicate and meticulous about where they land and collect pollen gathering it from their hairs and placing the pollen in their pollen sacks. Mason bees also have scopa on their collecting hairs which can be thought of as Velcro hooks for the pollen allowing them to hold more pollen on their body than honey bees. Honey bees are used in agriculture because they can be easily moved in mass from one monoculture field to another, while native bees are mostly solitary needing to be cultivated on the land which requires a rich year round polyculture of flowering plants.
Our mission is to create wellbeeing for pollinators, neighborhoods, farms, and our communities through the power of connection and cooperation. Our relationship with nature shows us one undeniable truth, nature thrives on connections and struggles to survive when connections are broken.
Mushrooms for example connect the forests sharing nutrients from strong trees with those in need. Soil science shows us that plant roots of different species create connections with the vast diversity of life in the soil to create a symbiotic bond of sharing and exchanging nutrients and supporting one another through the good times and the dry times.
What is a Pollinator Corridor?
A community pollinator corridor is a group of contiguous habitats close enough to create a pollinator road from one habitat to another providing valuable connections for these vulnerable native species to thrive and proliferate within their community.
The issue: The smallest of native bees can only fly for 3 blocks before they need to refuel on delicious nectar in their search for a mate and a home for their nursery. The largest native bee can fly for ¾ of a mile. The celebrated Honey Bee in comparison can fly up to 3 miles. These pollinators need close havens with a diversity of food year round to proliferate and thrive. With modern agricultural practices of monocultures, city landscapes full of bare parking lots, and homes practicing spraying chemicals to kill those unseemly yellow flowers known as the dandelion, there isn't much room for our local pollinators to reach each other and replenish their dwindling numbers.
The Solution:
Communities coming together to create a chain of Pollinator Sanctuaries to connect our pollinators and each other!
Native Bees are an excellent addition to any outdoor space, as they greatly improve pollination services and local ecosystem vitality.
Bee conservation programs are a great way to do some good in the world while attracting people to your organization and events. Bonus wildflowers and butterflies are amazing for social media outreach.
The Program
The objective of the project is to create a chain of conservation pollinator gardens, native bee habitats and living classrooms in collaboration with local farms, schools, non-profits, corporations, community gardens, your garden, HOA's etc. to aid in the conservation and proliferation of local pollinators.
The goals of the program are:
1) To create pollinator habitat and forage in multiple locations for native bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators to use as a corridor to spread, reproduce, and rekindle at-risk populations separated by modern human infrastructure and monocultures.
2) These gardens serve as conservation monitoring sites of bee populations in partnership with the Colorado State University extension program.
3) These gardens in collaboration with our partners can serve as a living classroom to educate people on pollinator conservation and home gardening practices
4) To feed honey bees and native bees with mushroom extracts to boost immunity for our at risk bee friends.
Conditions:
- You must show passion and demonstrate a serious commitment to establishing and keep a bee conservation area.
- You must designate a single responsible leader for the project
- You must be willing to share stories and pictures to inspire others.
- You must be able to care for the wildflowers and conservation area.
Contact us today to get started
Learn More about Native Bees and Conservation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7drNfImik