VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Fun fact: There are 80 food crops in Virginia, including blueberries, strawberries, and peaches, that rely on honeybees for pollination! In celebration of National Pollinator Month, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is hosting a dedication ceremony of the Bee City USA® Pollinator Garden on June 23, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. in Red Wing Park. The ceremony will showcase the new garden, a healthy habitat designed with a rich variety of native plants to sustain pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths that are responsible for fertilization, seed, and fruit production. In 2020, Virginia Beach became a Bee City USA affiliate, joining many other cities and campuses across the country united in improving their landscapes for pollinators. The Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation led efforts to accomplish this certification, which not only supports bees but all native pollinators. Following the dedication, the pollinator garden will become the future location of annual pollinator events each June and is also available for weddings. Bee City USA® is an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, with offices across the country. Bee City USA's mission is to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats, rich in a variety of native plants and free of insecticides. |