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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Tom<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Ceccarini, Annie [mailto:Annie.Ceccarini@dm.usda.gov] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Peoples Garden - OSEC<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 15, 2014 12:19 PM<br><b>To:</b> Undisclosed recipients:<br><b>Subject:</b> See Honeybees at Work: U.S. Department of Agriculture Launches BeeWatch<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear Friend of The People’s Garden: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="bee hive.jpg" style='position:absolute;margin-left:1.3pt;margin-top:.7pt;width:271.7pt;height:156.5pt;z-index:251657728;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text'>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=362 height=209 src="cid:image003.jpg@01CF7033.05EF8520" align=left hspace=12 alt="bee hive.jpg" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Today we launched #USDABeeWatch at <b><a href="http://www.usda.gov/beewatch">www.usda.gov/beewatch</a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span></b>to increase public awareness about bee activity and the actions Americans can take to support pollinators. We encourage you to support USDA’s work by adopting pollinator-friendly gardening practices!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>This live feed (“bee cam”) of The People’s Garden Apiary located on the roof of the Jamie L. Whitten Building at USDA Headquarters in Washington, DC is viewable 24/7. You can take <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/9110167709/">this virtual tour</a> for a look inside the hive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So what will you see on our bee cam? This time of year, the camera – placed several feet from the entrance of the hive – shows female worker bees entering and exiting the hive gathering nectar and pollen to convert into honey. Be on the lookout for bees carrying a load of pollen on their hind legs. As bees groom, they’ll move the pollen onto their back legs creating a pellet of pollen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The availability of pollen and nectar from flowering plants in surrounding landscapes is very important to the growth, development and productivity of any honeybee colony. Populations of honeybees, native bees and other pollinators like birds, butterflies, beetles and bats have declined due to habitat loss, disease, adverse weather, and other conditions. We need pollinators to pollinate most of our flowering plants giving us the foods that give our diet nutrition, diversity and flavor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Helping pollinators is essential. That’s why we’ve adopted pollinator-friendly gardening practices at USDA Headquarters and encourage you to do the same. Simple actions you can take on your farm, ranch or garden to create or improve pollinator habitat include:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Planting a variety of native flowering shrubs, trees and wildflowers that bloom continuously throughout the seasons; allowing small plants like clover in your lawn instead of trying to eradicate these “weeds” with herbicides.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Finding non-chemical solutions to insect problems;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Providing a source of clean water for birds and other pollinators such as a birdbath;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm">Using native plant species that are from your ecoregion</a>;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Leaving dead foliage on native perennials as a source of food and nesting material for wildlife in winter; or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Become involved. Plant a small pollinator garden and experience the pleasure of observing pollinators in your garden. Share your findings with us<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>using hashtag #USDABeeWatch. Most importantly, get outside with your family and friends and explore the natural and urban habitats that we share with pollinators and flowering plants<span style='color:#1F497D'>.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Bee Well,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The People’s Garden Team<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Follow Us <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>@PeoplesGarden<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Join Us<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden">www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>#USDABeeWatch<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.usda.gov/beewatch">www.usda.gov/beewatch</a> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br><br><br><br>This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
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