City of Florence to Host First Ever Bee City Takeover Event
For Immediate Release – June 23, 2023
City of Florence to Host First Ever Bee City Takeover Event
Media Contacts:
Rachel Lane, Bee City Florence Committee Chair - (843) 678-5913 or rlane@cityofflorence.com
FLORENCE, SC – In celebration of National Pollinator Week and the City’s Bee City USA certification, the City of Florence will host their first ever Bee City Takeover event at the City Center Farmers Market on Saturday, June 24, 2023. The event will take place during the normal market hours of 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and aims to educate the public on pollinators.
Event attendees will be able to talk with beekeepers from the Pee Dee and Blackwater Beekeepers Associations, see live bees in observation hives, and sample or purchase locally produced honey. They can also learn about creating pollinator-friendly gardens and shop for plants from Forest Lake Greenhouses and Clemson Extension or pick up a packet of wildflower seeds from Keep Florence Beautiful. Other activities include a mini pollinator mural activity, a pollinator scavenger hunt, and bee-themed tote bag projects with the DIY Place.
At 11:00 a.m. during the event, Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin will present Resolution No. 2023-32, which proclaims June 19-25, 2023, as National Pollinator Week. The resolution was passed during the recent City Council meeting as part of the City’s continued efforts to build a healthy, sustainable, and wildlife-friendly city that brings the many benefits of nature to all corners of the community.
Along with the Bee City Takeover activities, attendees will also be able to shop from the City Center Farmers Market’s farmers, artisans, food producers, and food trucks. Several of the market vendors will also have bee-themed or pollinator-themed products for the event.
Admission to the event is free and the Bee City Takeover events are designed to be accessible for all ages.
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About Bee City USA
Bee City USA® and Bee Campus USA work to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators, in particular the more than 3,600 species of native bees in this country, by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides. Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The City of Florence became a registered Bee City USA city in 2019.
About National Pollinator Week
Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership, and fifteen years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown into an international celebration, promoting the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies.
