Kelowna residents asked to ‘Bee’ Ambassadors this year

Border Free Bees lands additional funding

UBC’s Border Free Bees is encouraging local residents to “bee” friendly this summer.

Border Free Bees is a longterm public initiative in collaboration with UBC Okanagan and community partners.

The goal is to raise awareness of the plight of wild pollinators, and at the same time empower communities to actively engage in solutions for habitat loss and transform under-utilized urban sites into aesthetically pleasing and scientifically viable pollinator pastures, said UBCO’s Nancy Holmes, a professor in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies.

“One in three bites of food we eat is thanks to a pollinator and only some of these pollinators are honey bees,” Holmes said. “We want to encourage people to plant small gardens to support all of the amazing insects who support our survival and the survival of countless birds and other animals around us.”

Last summer, Border Free Bees formed a Nectar Trail in Kelowna’s Mission neighbourhood with more than 100 homes, businesses and organizations joining up. Countless others outside the neighbourhood wanted to take part, but funding had run out, says Holmes. Border Free Bees organizers approached their original funder, and thanks to a Telus Go Wild community grant, the project will continue this summer.

Anyone within Kelowna can commit to being a Bee Ambassador. The first 200 will be provided with a lawn sign, bee ID booklet and guidelines for planting and caring for pollinators. Border Free Bees will continue to provide packages beyond that number until funds are spent, says Holmes.

For more information about the project, you can attend a Bee Ambassador info night on Wednesday, April 11, from 7 to 8:30 pm at the downtown Kelowna library at 1380 Ellis St. See Borderfreebees.com.

— Special to the Courier