Think Before You Kill That Bee

I am not a fan of bees. I tend to run in circles and scream a lot when one is around me. In fact, one of the stories my family will never let me forget involves my jumping off our riding lawn mower while on a slight hillside because of a bee. My mother had to run and jump on the mower to keep it from rolling down the hill. Well, at least it got me out of mowing the lawn as one of my chores for awhile.

Don't get me wrong, I realize how important they are to our lives. They pollinate everything from flowers, to vegetables, fruits, etc. In fact, we're in a lot of trouble if they keep disappearing at such a rate as they have in the past few years. While there's been a lot of talk about this issue, Governor Cuomo this week took some steps to try and address the problem.

According to the Office of the Governor, Governor Cuomo has directed the Commissioners of the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation to meet with farmers, research institutions and key industry leaders to address the alarming decline in pollinators that has occurred in recent years by developing  a road map to conserve and grow pollinator populations across the state. The Pollinator Protection Plan will promote the health and recovery of pollinator populations, which include various types of bees and butterflies.

Here's a video that New Jersey released this past summer addressing the issue.

The Governor's press release also quoted Richard Schrader, New York Political and Legislative Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council: 'Bees and butterflies play a vital role in New York’s economy. Bees pollinate one-in-three mouthfuls in the American diet and many of New York’s most profitable crops – from apples to raspberries. This task force can help New York become a national leader in cutting-edge solutions to safeguard pollinators that keep the agricultural economy growing.'

I may still scream when a bee comes near me, but I will do my part and make sure part of my yard has plants and flowers that will attract these pollinators. They will be far, far away from the house, but they'll be there.