We reported earlier this year that Talent was designated a Bee City USA. In December, Ashland’s City Council voted unanimously to become the next Bee City USA. It is expected that the application process will be completed in January

Kristina Lefever of the Pollinator Project of Rogue Valley explains the Bee City USA focus in her guest opinion in the Ashland Daily Tidings.

SOBA member Dolly Warden  and the Pollinator Project of Rogue Valley are the driving forces behind the proposal to create the Bee City USA designation for Talent, Ashland, and hopefully every city in the Rogue Valley.

Bee City USA (www.beecityusa.org) encourages city leaders to raise awareness of the contributions bees and other pollinators make to our agriculture and our food supply. The group wants to foster practices to help pollinators, which can include reduction or elimination of pesticides and establishment of areas friendly to bees.

A group of citizens in Phoenix have now taken up the challenge and are working to gain Bee City USA designation. If you are interested in helping that effort, email: dolly.warden17@gmail.com