The Bloomington City Council unanimously approved the city to become a Bee City USA affiliate at a council meeting Wednesday. The approval will be submitted to Bee City USA for certification.
The Parks and Recreation department and the Environmental Commission are partnering for the initiatives. Bloomington will be the third city in Indiana to be named a Bee City. There are 241 Bee City affiliates.
Bloomington is already a designated Tree City and Bird Town.
Participating in the program recognizes the actions Bloomington has and will continue to take to protect pollinators, Environmental Commission Chair Carrie Albright said. These actions include creating pollinator-friendly habitats and removing invasive species.
“It helps ensure the survival of vital species crucial to our planet's functioning ecosystems,” Albright said.
Pollinators are struggling due to habitat loss, pesticides, diseases, pathogens and the climate crisis, she said. About 35 percent of native bee species are at risk.
Becoming a designated Bee City requires hosting pollinator events and outreach activities, installing a sign Bee City provides, having a webpage, submitting an annual report and paying an annual fee of $400 that is part of the commission’s budget for now.
A committee will also be formed from different members of organizations in the city, Urban Greenspaces Manager Joanna Sparks said, which includes Indiana University and the Environmental Commission.
IU is already a Bee Campus USA affiliate.
“We have requests out to several other organizations just to help build bridges and expand the work that all of us are doing individually and into a more of a collective effort,” Sparks said.