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<H2>UNDERSTANDING OUR ENVIRONMENT </H2>
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<P>How To "Bee" Active Helping Hives Survive
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<P>(NAPSI)-The food producer responsible for one of every three bites the
average American eats is in crisis, and more than half of Americans are
not even aware there is a problem. Over the past several winters, more
than 25 percent of the honey bee population in the United States has
vanished. Everything from poor nutrition to invasive mites to Colony
Collapse Disorder (CCD)--a phenomenon where bees from a colony abruptly
disappear, leaving no trace--is affecting the bee population. This
disappearance has scientists stumped and has the potential to affect many
of our favorite fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
<P>A world without the hardworking honey bee is a world without tasty
pears, luscious raspberries and crunchy nuts. In fact, honey bees are
responsible for the pollination of more than 100 crops, providing 80
percent of the country's pollination services. Without the help of honey
bees in crop pollination, an estimated $15 billion in U.S. agriculture is
in jeopardy affecting both U.S. and international food supplies.
<P>The plight of the honey bee affects us all. Here are some small steps
you can take to help save these petite pollinators:
<P>• Create a bee-friendly garden--See the five simple tips to learn more.
<P>• Voice your concerns and go to www.helpthehoneybees.com.
<P>• Support Häagen-Dazs Brand ice cream products--a portion of the
proceeds of the sale of all honey bee-affected flavors and new Vanilla
Honey Bee ice cream will go toward funding sustainable pollination and CCD
research at UC Davis and Penn State.
<P>Five simple tips to create a bee-friendly garden
<P>1. Choose garden plants and flowers that are pollinator-friendly. This
includes most plants in the rose, mint, pea and aster families.
<P>2. Select flowers that have a single layer of flower petals, such as a
classic daisy.
<P>3. Add non-native plants to your garden to create diversity. Plus, many
non-native varieties are excellent, attractive and vigorous plants that
provide food for bees and pollinators.
<P>4. Look for flowers that provide food all season. Plant some early
flowering plants, along with mid-and late-season flowers. Late-season
flowers like goldenrod and aster are especially important.
<P>5. Provide a good environment. Limit, or better still, eliminate the
use of pesticides, particularly on attractive plants with open flowers.
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<P>Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey, Department of Entomology, University of
California, Davis
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<P>The latest buzz is that we need bees to pollinate more than 100
crops.</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Gill Sans MT" size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10">Laurie Davies Adams<BR>Executive Director<BR><B>Pollinator
Partnership </B><BR>423 Washington Street, 5th floor<BR>San Francisco, CA
94111<BR>415-362-1137</FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Gill Sans MT"
color=#0000ff size=4 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="14"><B><A
href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</A></B></FONT><FONT lang=0
face="Gill Sans MT" color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"></B><BR><A
href="http://www.nappc.org/">www.nappc.org</A><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0
face="Gill Sans MT" color=#000000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="12"><B><I>National Pollinator Week is June 22-28, 2008. <BR>Beecome
involved at <A
href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</A></I></FONT></B></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">It's Tax Time! <A title="http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001" href="http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001" target="_blank">Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money & Finance.</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>