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Sustaining The Honeybee And Plants You Can Grow To Attract Pollinators

Wikipedia.com
You can add plants to your landscape to attract and sustain bees and other pollinators.

Most crops grown for their fruits, nuts, seeds and fiber require pollination by insects, such as bees and butterflies. These pollinators are responsible for much of the food we eat and play a critical role in ensuring the production of seeds in most flowering plants. Joining us from theCincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to discuss the vital need to protect honeybees and local efforts to increase and sustain their populations, and to offer suggestions on plants you can grow to attract and feed pollinators, are zoo beekeeper and one of the founders of Pollen Nation, Melanie Evans; Director of Horticulture, Steve Foltz; and horticulturist Scott Beuerlein, who is also chair of the Taking Rootcampaign.

The Cincinnati Zoo celebrates Earth Day this evening, April 28, from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with the 7th annual Party for the Planet. Experts will be on hand to share information on sustainable food, energy efficiency, composting and more. Party for the Planet also features the Go Green Garden Exhibit for the 4th annual Rain Barrel Art Benefit Auction. Admission to the Zoo is FREE after 5 p.m. and parking is $10. For more information, click here.

The Cincinnati Zoo is introducing a line of pollinator-friendly plants that grow well in our region. For a list of the Zoos' Best Annuals for Pollinators,click here. For a list of the Zoos' Best Perennials for Pollinators, click here.

Pollen Nation, a group of beekeepers made up of Cincinnati Zoo staff and volunteers, has established honeybee hives on the EcOhio Farm, a portion of the zoo's offsite property in Warren County, Bowyer Farm. For more information on honeybees and area beekeeping groups, visit the American Bee Journal or the Warren County Beekeepers Association.