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.
2023 Bee A Hero Contest is Open! |
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The 4th Annual Bee A Hero contest is back!Scientists are ringing the alarm bells that our native pollinators are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Bee Heroes help these essential critters by creating a pollinator habitat in their own backyard, farm or balcony and taking before and after pictures. All you'll need to do to enter the 2023 contest is take a before picture of your garden or container prior to it being planted, and then an after picture once it has grown and upload your photos to our online submission form. Both old and new gardens can enter. The contest runs from July 19, 2023 until September 15, 2023. Contestant gardens will then be reviewed by our team and our winners will be determined. Prizes will be awarded across a few categories, including:
Winners will be chosen at the end of the submission period and they’ll be recognized and honoured for their great work by the Mayor and Council in a presentation at a future Council meeting. Participant's before and after pictures of their gardens, along with the write-up about their garden, will be included in the presentation to Council. Please submit any questions to beecitykawartha@gmail.com
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Biking for Pollinators |
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On October 4, the Kawartha Lakes Cycling Club in collaboration with the Pollinator Action Committee of Kawartha Lakes held a Biking for Pollinators ride from Lindsay to Fenelon Falls distributing native wildflower seeds along the way. Photo Gallery: Biking for pollinators will appear here on the public site.
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Get on the Map! Register your Pollinator Pathway habitat |
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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. Pollinator Pathway Map |
News |
Youth Environmental Heroes honoured this weekThe 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 pollinatorsThe 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 populationThe 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 livesWith 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 CanadaBobcaygeon'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 PollinatorsSusan 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 ProjectThis 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 - before photo
Fenelon Falls Landfill - "in bloom" after photo
KRCA Windy Ridge Pollinator PatchesIn 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.
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Bee-friendly Community Initiatives |
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Bee Schools |
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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.
Congratulations to Langton Public School in Fenelon Falls on being designated the 14th Bee School in Canada.
In their acceptance letter Bee City Canada states:
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 |
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Learn to identify Pollinators and support scientific research:
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Get Involved |
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Get on the Bee City mailing list. Email us at kleac@kawarthalakes.ca
The Bee City Mandate is three pronged:
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 |
Events for 2023! |
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Important Dates |
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Pollinator-Friendly Gardens |
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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 nativeChoose 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 plantingsPlanting multiples of the same plant together in large groupings makes it easier for pollinators to find and collect pollen. Choose single bloomsDouble or triple bloom flowering varieties with lots of petals can block access to pollen and nectar. Continuous bloomPollinators need a continuous source of pollen and nectar; so choose a variety of plants that will bloom from spring to fall. Plant host plantsButterflies 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 waterA bird bath or shallow dish of water with half-submerged rocks will help bees and butterflies quench their thirst. Provide sunButterflies like to bask in the sun, so place a few flat rocks in sunny, sheltered locations. Keep it naturalConverting a lawn or garden to concrete, gravel, mulch or artificial turf reduces valuable food and nesting sites. Bare groundMany native bees build nests in soil, so leave some bare patches and limit your use of mulch. Leave dead stemsSome 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 leavesLeave the leaves where they fall or rake them into your garden to provide overwintering habitat for butterflies. Prune and deadheadRemove dead flower heads to encourage new growth and extend the flowering season. Reduce mowingTo avoid disturbing ground nesting bees, mow your lawn less often and set the blade at the highest level possible. Avoid pesticidesAvoid plants/seeds treated with systemic insecticides, such as neonicotinoids. And don't spray pesticides. Pesticide Bylaw bans the cosmetic use of pesticides. Turn off lightsHelp our nocturnal pollinators such as moths by remembering to turn out your outdoor lights at night. |
Kawartha Lakes Native Plant Guide and Local Plant Growers |
Native Wildflowers and Shrubs for Pollinators and ButterfliesSpring
Summer
Fall
Native Plant and Pollinator ResourcesGrow Wild! Green Side Up Ecology Park Plant Nursery Native Plants in Claremont Wildflower Farm Florabunda Seeds Rockwood Forest Nurseries Other ResourcesNorth American Native Plant Society Instructions for building a Pollinator Patch |
Message to Aspiring New Beekeepers |
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Learn from your local Central Ontario Beekeepers Association Advice from a veteran beekeeper:Plan to study beekeeping for at least a year before even thinking about getting your own bees. 1) Take a beekeeping course 2) Join the Central Ontario Beekeepers Association discussion group 3) Subscribe to a magazine 4) Team up and work with an experienced beekeeper |
More Pollinator Information Resources |
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