Picture above: The Metropolis of Smyrna Metropolis Council unanimously voted on August 3, 2026, to change into a Bee Metropolis USA. From left to proper: Chris Knight (At-Massive, KSB Board); Casey Chaviano (At-Massive, KSB Board); Diane Overton (Mayor’s Appointee, KSB Board); Shannon Balestrini (At-Massive, KSB Board); Mayor Derek Norton; Environmental Providers Director and KSB Government Director Julie Barwig; Maggie McGarity (Ward 5, KSB Board); Liv Smart (At-large, KSB Board)
Preserve Smyrna Lovely distributed the next announcement:
The Metropolis of Smyrna Metropolis Council unanimously voted on August 3, 2026, to change into a Bee Metropolis USA®, becoming a member of many different cities and campuses throughout the nation united in bettering their landscapes for pollinators. This designation is the fruits of months of effort by Preserve Smyrna Lovely (KSB) to perform this affiliation.
Bee Metropolis USA is an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit group based mostly in Portland, Oregon, with workplaces throughout the nation. Bee Metropolis USA’s mission is to provoke communities to maintain pollinators by offering them with wholesome habitat, wealthy in quite a lot of native crops and freed from pesticides. Pollinators like bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, and plenty of others are accountable for the copy of just about ninety p.c of the world’s flowering plant species and one in each three bites of meals we devour.
“This proclamation represents an vital step in our shared dedication to defending the pollinators which might be important to our group,” mentioned Casey Chaviano, at-large KSB board member. “Georgia is dwelling to greater than 500 species of native bees, a lot of that are going through rising threats from habitat loss, pesticide use, launched ailments, and altering local weather situations. These pollinators delight dwelling gardeners, are an vital part of our agricultural methods, and are important to the well being of our native ecosystems. Thanks to the mayor and metropolis council on your assist of Preserve Smyrna Lovely and our native bees. Creating wholesome areas for wildlife to flourish can be the work of making thriving communities for everybody in Smyrna.”
“This system aspires to make folks extra PC—pollinator aware, that’s,” mentioned Scott Hoffman Black, Xerces’ govt director. “If plenty of people and communities start planting native, pesticide-free flowering timber, shrubs and perennials, it can create large-scale change for a lot of, many species of pollinators.”
“How every metropolis completes the steps to preserve pollinators is as much as them,” mentioned Bee Metropolis USA Coordinator Laura Rost. “To take care of their affiliation, every affiliate is anticipated to report on their achievements and have a good time being a Bee Metropolis USA affiliate yearly.”
Every affiliate ought to maintain public consciousness actions; publicly acknowledge the dedication to this system by way of a standing committee, signage and net hyperlinks; and put together an annual report on habitat enhancement actions. Bee Metropolis USA particularly encourages college gardens and academic applications for youngsters.
The Metropolis of Smyrna has designated Preserve Smyrna Lovely the facilitating committee for Smyrna’s efforts to interact the group in selling pollinator conservation. Already, KSB volunteers have put in two Pollinator Pocket gardens in Smyrna with plans to put in one in each ward of the town. KSB gives training and sources on-line, in faculties, and on the gardens to encourage Smyrna residents to hitch the struggle to guard pollinators. Moreover, KSB Government Director Julie Barwig just lately grew to become licensed as a Pollinator Steward by the Pollinator Partnership.
For extra details about Smyrna’s Bee Metropolis USA program, contact Julie Barwig at jbarwig@smyrnaga.gov.
For extra details about Bee Metropolis USA, go to https://www.beecityusa.org/
For extra details about the Xerces Society, go to https://xerces.org/
For details about 4 easy methods to assist pollinators, go to https://xerces.org/bringbackthepollinators/
About Preserve Smyrna Lovely
Preserve Smyrna Lovely’s mission is to encourage our group to be clear, inexperienced, and exquisite. Our imaginative and prescient is a group the place each particular person is a accountable steward of the setting. KSB is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and an area affiliate of each Preserve America Lovely and the Preserve Georgia Lovely Basis. To study extra about our work in the neighborhood, go to keepsmyrnabeautiful.com. Study extra in regards to the Pollinator Pocket initiative at https://keepsmyrnabeautiful.com/pollinator-pockets/
