Feed a Bee program reaches 50-state milestone

Feed a Bee, the national pollinator forage initiative by Bayer, has reached its goal of awarding grants supporting diverse forage for pollinators in all 50 states. The 50th recipient awarded recently was Gateway to the Arctic Campin Talkeetna, Alaska.

This summer, the nonprofit camp will dedicate an entire field as forage for bees and other pollinators where campers of all abilities, including those with special needs, can discover the connection between bees and the crops they pollinate.

“We’re proud to have awarded more than $650,000 for pollinator-focused planting projects over the last three years,” said Becky Langer, project manager for the Bayer North American Bee Care Program. “We’re now connected to 163 organizations all over the country who are thinking critically about how to diversify forage for pollinators, have put that plan to action and, equally important, have integrated educational components encouraging their local community to get involved.”

Raymond Nadon, executive director, Gateway to the Arctic Camp, said the camp was committed to teaching Alaskans about the important role pollinators paly in the ecosystem.

“The Feed a Bee grant is a welcomed and powerful resource to continue our forage efforts at the farm,” he said.

Launched by the Bayer North American Bee Care Program in 2015, Feed a Beehas provided funds and sponsored educational activities encouraging people to get involved in meeting this need for increased pollinator forage and habitat. Those efforts have led to the distribution of more than 3 billion pollinator-attractant wildflower seeds across the country. 

Other groups awarded funding for their pollinator efforts include the Living Coast Discovery Center in San Diego, which is establishing a native pollinator garden, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is planting pollinator-attractant wildflowers on former cropland and oil fields. Recipients include nonprofits, growers and grower organizations, beekeepers and beekeeper groups, businesses, schools, clubs, gardening groups, government agencies and more.

Bayer Bee Care is a Leading Sponsor of TWS.