Bee City

Bee on a flower

Kawartha Lakes is officially recognized as a Bee City by Bee City Canada because we support healthy pollinator populations and ongoing efforts to preserve and create pollinator habitat. Being a Bee City reinforces the goals of our Integrated Community Sustainability Plan by encouraging community engagement and supporting healthy ecosystems and healthy food sources.

You can visit the Bee City Canada website to learn more about the program.

The 2021 Bee Hero Garden Challenge is open!

bumblebee Scientists are ringing the alarm bells that our native pollinators are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. You can Bee A Hero and help these essential critters by creating a pollinator habitat in your own backyard, farm or balcony. One-third of all the food we eat is thanks to their amazing pollination services. See what simple additions you can make to your outdoor space to help build the Kawartha Pollinator Pathway and you could create a prize-winning pollinator habitat!

Anyone can participate: residents, schools, churches, businesses and farms. By planting pollinator-friendly plants, we are building a corridor across Kawartha Lakes.

Native pollinator plants are best, but any single flower plant that hasn't been sprayed with pesticides will do. Zinnias, though not native are always a good choice. Please refer to the Pollinator-Friendly Gardens and Plant Guide below. Please include at least one of the pollinator aids listed under Pollinator-Friendly Gardens.

Just take a picture of your garden or container before you plant and another picture once it has grown and submit to the online form below. Older and new gardens can enter.

The contest is open for March 29 to August 31.

Winners will be chosen at the end of the summer and awarded in the fall

First, second and third prizes will be awarded across these three categories:

Children's garden (12 and younger)
Adults Garden (13 and older)
Container Garden

2021 Bee Hero Garden Challenge Online Submission

Thank you to our 2020 participants!

Photo Gallery: 2020 Bee Hero Garden Challenge will appear here on the public site.

Get on the Map! Register your Pollinator Pathway habitat

A pollinator garden takes into account the needs of pollinators - bees, moths, beetles, butterflies and hummingbirds - by providing nectar and pollen. It is pesticide free and offers a variety of native species that bloom from spring through fall with flowers of different colours, shapes and sizes to suit all pollinators' tastes. Its habitat features can include a small water source, bee nesting sites and larval plants such as milkweed for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars. Your pollinator garden can begin as a container or span a full yard.

Anyone can participate: residents, schools, churches, businesses and farms. By planting pollinator-friendly plants, we are building a corridor across CKL. The database you are helping to create can be used to ascertain what our pollinator corridor looks like, what plant species are doing well here and what seasonal gaps are occurring so we can encourage planting of a wider variety of plants.

Help build our Pollinator Pathways and get on the map! Register your Bee City Kawartha Lakes Pollinator Pathway.

News

Youth Environmental Heroes honoured this week

The 2019 Youth Hero was awarded to the junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten classes of Dunsford District Elementary School for their involvement as leaders in the Bee School application and project launch. For the full story, please read the Kawarth411 article.

Bee friendly: City of Kawartha Lakes stands up for pollinators

The City of Kawartha Lakes has joined the ranks of Bee Cities in Canada. For more details, visit Global News Peterborough.

Decommissioned Fenelon Falls landfill repurposed for bee population

The City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee (CKLEAC) is piloting a project to turn part of the decommissioned land at the Fenelon Falls landfill into a positive source of habitat and food for insects. For more details, read the news article in Kawartha411.

City celebrates its first year as a “Bee City”

The City of Kawartha Lakes is celebrating the one year anniversary this July of its designation as a Bee City. The City would like to recognize the hard work and effort that has been made by City residents, communities and organizations towards raising awareness about the importance of pollination. Read the full release under the City's news section.

Bobcaygeon's Jerry Jerrard is responsible for millions of lives

With roughly 500 hives spread out between several locations in the Kawartha Lakes, Jerrard enjoys sharing the ‘buzz’ on Earth’s sweetest pollinator. Please visit MyKawaratha's website to read more.

Kawartha Settlers' Village designated as a Bee Business by Bee City Canada

Bobcaygeon's Kawartha Settlers' Village was designated as a Bee Business by Bee City Canada. Guests who visit Kawartha Settlers’ Village will now be able to learn about traditional beekeeping and enjoy garden areas that include wildflowers, shrubs and trees that are important to pollinators.

Fenelon Falls resident wants you to celebrate Bee City Pollinators

Susan Blayney, a 10 year resident of the Fenelon Falls area is proud to have led the Environmental Advisory Committee's Bee City initiative and is now the Chair of Fenelon Falls' very own Pollinator Action Committee.

We have a Facebook page. Like us!

Please like the City of Kawartha Lakes' Bee City Facebook page here.

Pollinator-Friendly City of Kawartha Lakes Projects

Fenelon Landfill Pollinator Project

This project is a multi-year project which began in 2015 and was planted in 2017. It was proposed to Kawartha Lakes Waste Management by the Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee and approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

1.5 acres of the final cover of a decommissioned cell at the landfill site has been sown with a pollinator-friendly seed mix to enhance habitat instead of the usual grass seed mix. There is a plan to have students from Fleming College monitor the site using the Ontario Pollinator Monitoring Protocol developed at the University of Guelph.

Fenelon Falls Landfill Site Map Photo

Fenelon Falls Landfill - site map photo

Fenelon Falls Landfill before photo

Fenelon Falls Landfill - before photo

Fenelon Falls Landfill in bloom photo

Fenelon Falls Landfill - "in bloom" after photo

KRCA Windy Ridge Pollinator Patches

In 2019, collaboration between Bee City Kawartha Lakes, Kawartha Conservation and Pollinator Partnership Canada culminated in the planting of two new pollinator patches at the Windy Ridge Conservation Area. Students from nearby Scott Young Elementary School in Omemee were bussed in to plant 100 native flower species to enhance the habitat. Learning outside of the classroom is the best.

windy ridge pollinator pathway

windy ridge pollinator patch

Bee-friendly Community Initiatives

Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society: Lock 34 Pollinator Garden, Fenelon Museum Victory Garden and (with the support of KRCA) Rain Garden
Omemee Garden Club Pollinator Garden at the Fire Hall
Bobcaygeon Wilderness Park Pollinator Garden
Lindsay Community Gardens
Lilac Gardens of Lindsay
Fleming College's Frost Campus Butterfly Garden
Fenelon Falls Lock 34, Pollinator Garden
The Rosedale Pollinator Garden in the Trent-Severn Parkette
Seeds of Kindness Fruit Trees, Orchard Park, Lindsay
Lindsay Garden Club Bee Hotel, Mayor Flynn Park, Lindsay

Bee Schools

Individual schools can become part of the Bee City family by making a pledge to protect pollinators and their habitats. Learn the 3 Simple Steps to becoming a Bee School.

We currently have 2 officially designated Bee Schools in Kawartha Lakes: Langton Public in Fenelon Falls and Dunsford District Elementary.

Langton Public School - Bee City

Congratulations to Langton Public School in Fenelon Falls on being designated the 14th Bee School in Canada.
This is the accomplishment of the school's Green Team and teacher Candice Milroy.

In their acceptance letter Bee City Canada states:
I am simply amazed by all that you have accomplished in such a short period of time. From composting at your school (not many schools I know of in Toronto compost), to getting involved with the local horticultural group, to growing organic food, building bee homes, to partnering with a local MP and getting the Blue Dot program into Fenelon Falls, to sharing the food you are growing with others in need, and a host of so many other initiatives that you have undertaken, I must applaud all
of you!

Dunsford Public Bee School

Here’s what they say on the Bee City Canada website:

“On behalf of our Kindergarten team at Dunsford District Elementary School, we are elated to have been named the 25th Bee School in Canada. Our students have been busy planting gardens, planning a school wide spirit day, and preparing for our off site trip to kick off pollinator week at a garden unveiling in our community. We look forward to the many opportunities ahead to promote the bees, their importance and provide the rest of our school community with the knowledge that our kindergartens have acquired along our journey to become a Bee School.”

Citizen Science

Learn to identify Pollinators and support scientific research:

Submit Bumble Bee sightings to www.bumblebeewatch.org
Other bees and insects sightings can be submitted to www.inaturalist.org
Participate in our local Butterfly Count on July 22. Contact dan.bone13@gmail.com

Get involved

Get on the Bee City mailing list. Email us at kleac@kawarthalakes.ca

The Bee City Mandate is three pronged.

Create and conserve habitat.

Educate.

Celebrate Pollinator week in the 3^rd week of June annually.

The Pollinator Action Committee plans the activities that realize our mandate. If you would like to contribute to this important and very satisfying community work please contact us at kleac@kawarthalakes.ca

Upcoming events

Stay tuned!

Important dates

Pollinator-Friendly Gardens

You can help pollinators by creating foraging and nesting opportunities in your garden. Here are some tips to attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

Plant native

Choose native shrubs, trees and perennial flowers rich in pollen and nectar. Locally grown and pesticide free are best. For native plants, visit Kawartha Conservation.

Mass plantings

Planting multiples of the same plant together in large groupings makes it easier for pollinators to find and collect pollen.

Choose single blooms

Double or triple bloom flowering varieties with lots of petals can block access to pollen and nectar.

Continuous bloom

Pollinators need a continuous source of pollen and nectar; so choose a variety of plants that will bloom from spring to fall.

Plant host plants

Butterflies lay their eggs on specific plants. Monarch butterflies, for example, will only lay their eggs on milkweed, the sole food source for their larva.

Provide water

A bird bath or shallow dish of water with half-submerged rocks will help bees and butterflies quench their thirst.

Provide sun

Butterflies like to bask in the sun, so place a few flat rocks in sunny, sheltered locations.

Keep it natural

Converting a lawn or garden to concrete, gravel, mulch or artificial turf reduces valuable food and nesting sites.

Bare ground

Many native bees build nests in soil, so leave some bare patches and limit your use of mulch.

Leave dead stems

Some bees hibernate and lay eggs in hollow stems. If you do cut, leave the bottom 8 inches or bundle the stems and place them in your garden.

Leave the leaves

Leave the leaves where they fall or rake them into your garden to provide overwintering habitat for butterflies.

Prune and deadhead

Remove dead flower heads to encourage new growth and extend the flowering season.

Reduce mowing

To avoid disturbing ground nesting bees, mow your lawn less often and set the blade at the highest level possible.

Avoid pesticides

Avoid plants/seeds treated with systemic insecticides, such as neonicotinoids. And don't spray pesticides. Pesticide Bylaw bans the cosmetic use of pesticides.