Hanover Earns “Pollinator-Beneficial” Certification
Hanover College has been certified as an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program, designed to marshal the strengths of educational campuses for the benefit of pollinators. Hanover joins more than 150 other cities and campuses across the country united in improving their landscapes for pollinators.
Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives 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 and campuses to sustain pollinators by providing a healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants and free of pesticides.
“Hanover’s campus has always been known for its natural beauty and this recognition as “Bee Campus USA” reaffirms our commitment to making sure that our campus supports the pollinators on which we all depend,” said Eric Dodge, professor of economics and member of the College’s Environmental Stewardship Committee. “Building on the successful spring 2019 planting of our first pollinator garden, the Bee Committee will soon be engaging Hanoverians and Jefferson County residents with workshops, service projects and guest speakers to spread the word about the importance of pollinators in our communities.”
Pollinators like bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, and many others, are responsible for the reproduction of almost 90 percent of the world’s flowering plant species and one in every three bites of food we consume.
“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 help to sustain many, many species of pollinators.”
According to Bee Campus USA founder Phyllis Stiles, “Each certified campus must renew their certification each year and report on accomplishments from the previous year.”
