Austin Approved as Bee City USA Affiliate

Today, the City of Austin was officially notified that it has met the standards for certification as a Bee City USA affiliate. Earlier this month, the Austin City Council unanimously approved a resolution led by Council Member Leslie Pool and Council Member Vanessa Fuentes. This resolution to support Austin’s certification effort and activities that improve the landscape for pollinators was co-sponsored by Council Member Kathie Tovo, as well as by Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter. The Council’s action culminated over two years of work by the Austin Parks & Recreation Department and Pollinate Austin, a coalition of community partners who were dedicated to accomplishing this certification.
 
Bee City USA is an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, with offices across the country. Bee City USA’s mission is to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants and free of insecticides. Pollinators like bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, and many others are responsible for the reproduction of almost ninety percent of the world's flowering plant species and one in every three bites of food we consume.
 
“Austin can now celebrate being part of a national community that is enhancing our natural environment for pollinators and educating younger generations,” said CM Pool. “This is essential for a healthy ecology and for maintaining biodiversity in our area. I want to thank our staff and partners for this important work.”
 
“Becoming a Bee City is another step Austin is taking in its commitment to protect our environment,” said CM Vanessa Fuentes. “With pollinator populations declining as a result of habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, this designation not only supports conservation, but it also raises awareness to the urgency of protecting the species which keep our ecosystems intact.”
 
According to Jessica Gilzow, Cultural and Arts Program Manager with PARD, during the process of applying for the affiliation, several organizations were brought into the discussions as part of Pollinate ATX, including Raise Design Studio, Central Texas Master Naturalist, Travis County Master Gardeners, Bat Conservation International, Balcones Canyonlands, Austin Bees, Wild Spirit Wild Places, Desert Door Texas Sotol, and Me and the Bees Lemonade, as well as Two Hives Honey.
 
“Being a Bee City is part of the City’s continued commitment to promoting healthier ecosystems,” said CM Tovo. “I’m particularly excited that a little later this Spring, Austin’s children and families will be able to enjoy the fascinating beehive display at the Austin Nature & Science Center that is coming as part of this effort.”
 
“Bees are a keystone species that ecosystems and communities depend on for food, pollination, and pest resistance. This step towards creating more bee habitat reflects Austin’s values,” MPT Alter emphasized. “Our new status as an official Bee City would not be possible without the hard work of Parks staff, and our community partners in Pollinate Austin.”
 
“The program aspires to make people more ‘PC’ – pollinator conscious – that is,” said Scott Hoffman Black, Xerces’ executive director. “If lots of individuals and communities begin planting native, pesticide-free flowering trees, shrubs and perennials, it will create large-scale change for many, many species of pollinators.”
 
“How each city completes the steps to conserve pollinators is up to them,” said Bee City USA Coordinator Laura Rost. “To maintain their affiliation, each affiliate is expected to report on their achievements and celebrate being a Bee City USA affiliate every year.”
 
Each affiliate should hold public awareness activities; publicly acknowledge the commitment to the program through a standing committee, signage, and web links; and prepare an annual report on habitat enhancement activities.
 
Bee City USA especially encourages school gardens and educational programs for children.
 
The City of Austin has designated PARD as the facilitating department for Austin’s efforts to engage the community in promoting pollinator conservation. For more information about Austin’s Bee City USA program, contact Jessica Gilzow at Jessica.Gilzow@austintexas.gov.
 
For more information about Bee City USA, visit https://www.beecityusa.org/
For more information about the Xerces Society, visit https://xerces.org/
For information about four simple ways to help pollinators, visit https://xerces.org/bringbackthepollinators/