Bee Safe Neighborhoods - Lakewood, CO

07/13/2023

07/01/2023

06/01/2023

There are over 4000 species of bees native to the US. Honeybees are not one of them.

“But all of that attention on honey bees has, some ecologists argue, overshadowed their native counterparts: the wild bees. They’re an incredible bunch, found in all sorts of colors and sizes, and they’re important pollinators, too — better, by some measures, than honey bees. On the whole, native bees are also at a much greater risk of extinction, in part, because of the proliferation of European honey bees.”

Want to save the bees? First, throw out most of what you know about them.

05/10/2023

What she says! 🐝🐝🐝

Yards are a huge opportunity to support wildlife through native plants, shrubs, and trees. The more diverse your native plant selections are, the more you’ll provide in terms of food, shelter, and nesting provisions. Thus is also a way to support the surrounding open spaces, as your native garden is an extension of those natural areas, which allows wildlife to move around a broader expanse, finding all the resources they need to thrive, plus more opportunities to find new mates, and this increases genetic diversity, which strengthens animal populations. PLUS, and this is a big plus. You get access to nature in your yard, which reduces stress and increases your sense of wellbeing. A lot of wins here😎

05/03/2023

Avoiding systemic pesticides in your nursery plants is an extra step you can take to protect and support bees and other insects in your yard!

Here is a an updated article on the issues with these pesticides - primarily, but not only, neonicotinoids - and where to shop in Metro Denver.

05/02/2023

A great shout-out to Harlequin’s Gardens for their bee-safe and native plants!

The whole bee safe nursery list is coming soon!

Harlequin's Gardens is a plant nursery in Boulder, Colorado using pollinator-safe pest management practices. Owners Mikl and Eve Brawner believe in pest prevention. Their on-site "Microbe Brewery" produces compost tea, which they feed to plants to encourage beneficial soil fungi. They also use organic fertilizers. In turn, healthy soil creates more resilient plants that can survive pest outbreaks.

This nursery also provides beneficial insect habitat on site, sources safe plants, uses organic pest treatments, and waits until a set threshold is met before acting on pests. We're celebrating the steps Harlequin's Gardens has taken to support local wildlife. Plant vendors can be powerful allies to pollinators!

Read more at xerces.org/blog/allies-in-conservation-nurseries-practicing-pollinator-safe-pest-management

04/27/2023

Native plants host native pollinators and other insects!

Today was a big day! After removing turf with a sod cutter last Fall, adding edging, carefully weeding perennial weeds and invasives, and changing some irrigation…our native meadow was finally seeded! We used a mix of native grasses and flower seeds as well as 12+ kinds of native flowers, planted in swaths.

We are doing three more areas yet this Spring!
I am excited to reduce water, have resilient native plants, and mostly host more local insects and birds in our yard!

I’ll post an update later this summer!

CMG Kelli, April 2023

04/20/2023

It might be chilly but Bee Safe Lakewood will be hanging out at the Earth Day event with several Sustainable Neighborhoods on Saturday! 11-5!

Come see what is happening in your neighborhood and learn how to create a bee safe yard! 🐝🐝🐝

Discover our outdoor event, exhibits, music, family activities, and more as we celebrate our Earth.

04/08/2023

Mark your calendars and join Bee Safe Neighborhoods Lakewood at Earth Day! We’ll be in a booth in the “Sustainable Neighborhoods” area by the old schoolhouse from 11:00-5:00!

🐝🐝🐝

Discover our outdoor event, exhibits, music, family activities, and more as we celebrate our Earth.