The City of Richmond is hoping to raise awareness about the importance of protecting pollinators by becoming a certified “bee city.”
City staff are asking council to approve an application to Pollinator Partnership Canada’s Bee City Program.
Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are “paramount for a stable and thriving natural environment,” according to a city staff report. However, there is growing evidence that pollinators are in decline around the world “due to the pressures of human development.”
If the application is approved, Richmond will become a certified bee city and will commit to raising public awareness through signage, online and social media promotion, and taking part in International Pollinator Week. The city will also use existing and new programs to support pollinators and submit an annual report of “pollinator related activities” to Bee City Canada.
According to the staff report, Richmond already has several programs that support pollinators, such as the Richmond Nectar Trail, habitat in Bridgeport Industrial Park and Terra Nova, and a school program for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3.
The Bee City Program was launched in 2017. Currently, there are six bee city members in B.C., according to the staff report, and 57 bee city members across Canada working to protect pollinators.
In 2020, Richmond was designated as a bat-friendly community after showing a commitment to managing and conserving the local bat population.
