In the spirit of true National Pollinator Week celebration, Bayer Monday announced the first round of organizations that will receive Feed A Bee Program funding to establish forage for pollinators across the nation, including a grant to the Loyalhanna Watershed Association, Inc. in Westmoreland County.

Nearly 100 projects were submitted in response to the request for proposals for the first round of funding, which were reviewed and evaluated by the inaugural Feed a Bee steering committee.

Ultimately, 58 projects in more than 30 states and Washington, D.C., have been chosen as the first to receive awards ranging from $1,000 - $5,000.

"It's thrilling to see so much interest around the country in such a short amount of time," said Dr. Becky Langer, project manager, Bayer North American Bee Care Program. "We're more than halfway to accomplishing our goal after the first round of proposals with more than a year and a half left in the initiative. It's rewarding to see organizations across the country come together with one common goal: providing quality nutrients for pollinators. We look forward to seeing all the creative project ideas yet to come!"

"The funding provided by Feed a Bee is instrumental in restoring our Butterfly and Pollinator Garden, which serves as a valuable tool to ensure young people who visit our grounds walk away understanding the value of protecting our country's pollinators," said Nadia Mercer, Washington Youth Garden program director. "We have been sharing knowledge of butterflies and other pollinators for over forty years and look forward to many more."

This event served not only as a celebration of National Pollinator Week, but also as recognition of the effort being done across the county in support of the 2015 Pollinator Health Strategic Plan, put in place by the White House Pollinator Health Task Force.

"We are proud to be doing our part in promoting the task force's goal of restoring or enchaining 7 million acres of forage by 2020," Langer said. "I'm glad we can aid in implementing the White House strategy coast to coast, beginning in the city that made pollinator health a national priority."

Click Here to watch the Feed A Bee video.

In Pennsylvania, the Ernst Conservation Seed Company in Crawford County and the Northcentral PA Conservancy in Lycoming County are Feed a Bee partners.

Feed a Bee is one of several programs sponsored by Bayer's Bee Care Program, continuing its nearly 30 years of supporting bee health.  You can also follow and share on Twitter @BayerBeeCare, on Facebook and view photos on Flickr.

Bayer USA has corporate offices in Pittsburgh and facilities in several other Pennsylvania locations.

[Note: The House adopted House Resolution 387 (Matzie-D-Allegheny) designating week of June 19 to 25 Pollinator Week in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary) on Monday.]

NewsClip:

Chesapeake Bay Journal: Take A Pollinator To Lunch: Plant A Native Garden

Helpful Links:

Penn State Center For Pollinator Research

Pollinator Garden Certification

Landscapes For Honey Bees

Ernst Seeds (Crawford County): Pollinator Habitat

Related Stories:

Big Spring Watershed Assn Unveils Native Plant Habitat Project In Cumberland County

Pollinator Population Is Going Down In PA Due To Pesticides, Parasites And Pathogens

[Posted: June 19, 2017]

6/26/2017