Gainesville certified as Bee City USA®
Published on January 25, 2023
By Rossana Passaniti
Bee City USA has designated the City of Gainesville as an official Bee City USA®, and a new committee is scheduled to meet for the first time next month to help promote pollinator conservation in the community. Gainesville joins cities and campuses across the country united to improve landscapes for pollinators at a time when bee populations remain threatened by disease, habitat loss, climate change and other factors.
“The City’s parks, greenspaces and community gardens teem with native wildflowers, and flowering plants trees and shrubs that create vibrant ecosystem for bees and other pollinators,” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward. “We welcome this designation, and remain dedicated to enhancing and expanding this natural environment,” he said.
The Gainesville Bee City Committee will gather at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6 at the Alachua County Library District headquarters library downtown.
The City has authorized the Florida Wildflower Foundation to convene the committee, an advisory group to City staff, to begin its work raising public awareness about the vital role of pollinators. The committee also will meet to discuss policy changes around pest management practices, and recommended programs to create or expand pollinator-friendly habitat. Each year, the committee will prepare a report for the Gainesville City Commission and Bee City USA. The foundation invites all neighbors to attend the committee meeting and share their ideas.
“We look forward to seeing how each city celebrates being a Bee City USA affiliate and the various ways they choose to conserve pollinators,” said Bee City USA Coordinator Laura Rost.
The Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted last summer to become a Bee City USA® following efforts by residents, City staff and community partners.
“The City is most appreciative for the passion of neighbors, like Janice Garry, as well as the support of staff at the Florida Wildflower Foundation and Executive Director Stacey Matrazzo who’s helping lead the initiative,” said Karissa Raskin, manager of systems change and special projects at the City.
Bee City USA Gainesville initiative is generously funded through the Alan and Linde ARKAT Foundation.
For more information about Bee City USA Gainesville, contact City Arborist Dave Conser at conserds@gainesvillefl.gov, or Stacey Matrazzo at smatrazzo@flawildflowers.org, or
Geena Hill at ghill@flawildflowers.org.