Blue Ridge is North Carolina’s 16th Bee Campus USA affiliate.
Bees and other pollinators—butterflies, hummingbirds, flies, beetles, and wasps—are an integral part of healthy ecosystems. These pollinators spread pollen to help plants reproduce, promoting biodiversity. They are responsible for the reproduction of ninety percent of the world’s wild plant and tree species.
Worldwide, many pollinator species are suffering. Worker bee colonies are particularly in danger as they are affected by colony collapse disorder, a phenomenon that has already resulted in the death of approximately 50% of bee hives in North America.
In February 2017, Blue Ridge Community College and Bee Campus USA announced that Blue Ridge Community College is the 16th educational institution in the nation to be certified as an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program.
Blue Ridge Community College Sustainability / Bee Campus Committee
Blue Ridge Community College’s Sustainability / Bee Campus Committee is leading the way in this effort and takes pride in the College’s commitment to minimizing hazards to pollinators by using no neonicotinoid pesticides, and almost no glyphosate herbicide or other potentially dangerous synthetic pesticides.
Bee Campus Resources
Blue Ridge Community College Certified “Bee Campus USA” Affiliate
Blue Ridge Integrated Pest Management Plan
Blue Ridge SUN Sustainability Newsletter
Native Plant Nurseries in North Carolina
North Carolina Native Plant List
Pollinator Conservation Program
About Bee Campus USA and Bee City USA
The Bee Campus USA designation recognizes educational campuses that commit to a set of practices that support pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, among thousands of other species. Bee City USA® urges local governments, individuals, organizations, corporations, and communities to promote and establish pollinator–friendly landscapes that are free of pesticides. Since its inception in Asheville, North Carolina in 2012, many cities have been certified across the nation and many others are in the process of preparing applications. For more information visit www.beecityusa.org