The Grass Stain Guru

TGSG Note:  As you probably know by now, I don’t just believe in playing outdoors, but also in being a good steward of the environment. I am so happy to share this post today and be part of #Tweehive, an international Twitter event to raise awareness about the plight of bees. And besides — bees are really incredible creatures! They get short-changed in the shadow of “sexier” critters like wolves and bald eagles. I say, viva bees! Frolic Friday will return next week (but don’t forget to go outside and play this weekend!) See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

When’s the last time you gave bees a thought? That’s right: BEES. Unless you are a gardener or entomologist, you probably don’t think much about them at all. Sure, we LOVE flowers — getting them for birthdays or Valentine’s Day. We like to have pots of flowers on our porches and see fields full of them when we drive down the highway. Or, how about honey? We love it in our tea or spread on toast, but how often do we think about all the work that went into making it?

Um, without bees –  no flowers or honey. It’s pretty simple math, really.

Or how about food? Do you like eating? A fan of food? Scientists estimate that every 3rd bite of food we eat comes to use via animal pollination — or roughly 80% of crops (Source: Pollinator Partnership). Amazing, isn’t it?! So you see, bees play a big part of our daily rituals and happiness, not to mention feeding us, whether we think about it or not.

Bees, as it turns out, are vitally important to life. So, let’s get excited about helping them out! Like other pollinators, they are in peril, and we need to step up to the plate to protect them.

Here’s a few things you can do:

• Plant a bee-friendly garden in your yard or community garden! Pollinator Partnership has a free downloadable plant guide (by zip code);
• Get educated! Learn more about bees native to North America and why they need our help; and
• Have some fun with the kids with these bee craft & song ideas from DLTK. You’ll have the kids buzzing in no time and help teach them that bees are not to be feared, but celebrated!

And remember, next time someone tells you you’re the bees knees, take it as the highest form of compliment! I know I will.

photo credit: glyn_nelson