Silver Award Spotlight: Bee the Change, Save the Bees
Girl Scout Cadette Lana was recently awarded the Girl Scout Silver Award by completing a service project she titled, “Bee the Change; Save the Bees.” Through research, she found that pollinators like native bees and honey bees are threatened globally and campaigned for awareness about things people can do to protect these species in their own backyards.
In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) identifies four major threats to pollinators, many within action of things we can do in our own communities. As reported by FWS in 2021, "For the past 25 years, many species of bees and other pollinators have experienced large drops in numbers. Among the causes: Fewer places to feed and breed. Pollinator habitat is shrinking. Disease-causing organisms—including viruses, fungi and bacteria—can spread from non-native to native pollinators. Pesticides are overused along with the effects of climate change."
Lana shared information at the Isle of Wight County Easter Egg hunt on April 9, 2022 with an interactive and informative display tent for guests to visit. The tent had activities for children, bee identification fact sheets, and information about pollinator gardens and how to start one. She hopes the easily digestible information will encourage her community to take action.
Lana said, “Both honey bees and native bees are threatened. Bees are our primary and most efficient pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. If no action is taken, and the bee population continues to decline, our own food chain will be threatened.” she continued, “Things we can do to help both native bees and honey bees are to plant pollinator gardens, include bee houses for solitary bees, add bee safe water sources to our gardens, and to limit or eliminate, if possible, the use of pesticides. Adding pollinator gardens will end the food deserts that we have created with plain grass yards and urban development.”
Lana previously earned her Girl Scout Bronze Award and plans to continue taking action to improve her community as a Girl Scout!
Congratulations, Lana!
