The city of St. Joseph is now officially a Bee City, USA.
The St. Joseph City Commission last month voted to apply for the status from the national Bee City, USA organization, and Assistant City Manager Emily Hackworth tells us they’ve now been approved.
So, what does this mean?
“Being a Bee City means that we’re committing to doing a number of things that will help protect our pollinators,” Hackworth said. “So, we are educating the public and our residents on best practices to protect pollinators. We’re using public land, as well as hopefully private land, to increase native plantings and nesting sites. We are going to be working on our integrated pest management plan to make sure that we are reducing pesticides and protecting pollinators as best as we can.”
Hackworth says it also means the city will hold events to spread awareness of bee preservation.
The city’s Bee City Committee, a subcommittee of the Sustainability Committee, is now meeting on a regular basis to talk about the issue. The meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph City Hall, and everyone’s invited.
Hackworth also tells spectators at the Blossomtime Parade this year to keep an eye out for the committee.
