What does it mean to be a “Bee City, USA”? A few years ago, I was reading an article about towns, cities and college campuses that had become “Bee City, USA” members. The more I read about it, the more I thought about how it would be a good fit for Holly Ridge to participate in. I personally had seen a large decline in bees around my garden and flower beds and was feeling concerned. Where were all the bees and how could we bring them back? I met with the Holly Ridge Town Manager about the possibility of Holly Ridge becoming a “Bee City, USA”. She agreed that this program would be a good thing for our community and presented it to the Town Council. Holly Ridge became an official Bee City, USA in December of 2023.
Last year, on the last Saturday in April, the Town had an amazing street fair that brought over 2,000 people to the Town of Holly Ridge to learn about and celebrate bees. Food trucks, exhibits and vendors lined Sound Road from Hwy 17 down to Hines Street. The weather was perfect, and the day was amazing.
As Chairperson of the committee that helped make this happen, I was thrilled with the turnout and the overwhelming positive response from residents who attended.
The focus of the festival was to promote “No Mow May”. No Mow May is a national movement designed to help promote the healthy growth of vegetation for native bees, including honeybees, by eliminating toxic poisons used for weed control, to teach people the importance of leaving areas long and natural, instead of cutting and weed whacking away what that the bees depend on. People are encouraged to plant more flowers to help feed the native bees and to refrain from mowing lawns short or to reduce the amount of lawn that is mowed during the month of May. Some of the funds raised during last year’s festival made a local impact as a donation to the Greater Topsail Community Garden to help provide flowers for pollinators. If you are not familiar with this group, you need to check them out. Visit them on Facebook to see all the wonderful things they do for our community, including providing fresh produce through “Share the Table” to those in our community in need. Looking to volunteer? This is a great way to work outdoors with an amazing group of people.
We can all take small steps that can help an insect that is critical to the survival of humans, survive and flourish. Interested in your community or school becoming a “Bee City, USA” member? Check out their website at Beecityusa.org
This year’s Bee Festival will be on Saturday, April 26th from 10am until 3pm on Sound Road.
