Bee City USA, Lynchburg

Two garden clubs, the Lynchburg Garden Club and Hillside Garden Club, formed a new partnership in February 2019 to work together on conservation issues in our area. We decided to work on the issues facing pollinators as our first project. The Lynchburg Garden Club helped Lynchburg become a "Tree City" in the 1980s and the BRC looked to pursue something similar for pollinators.

A few years ago by a woman named Phyllis Stiles, who lives in Ashville, NC, started Bee City.  She worked to incorporate the concept into the Xerces Society, which studies the issues facing pollinators (Xerces: name of the first butterfly to become extinct). BRC contacted Phyllis and she mentored the group through the process of becoming a bee city. Andrew Reeder from Parks and Recreation was willing to work alongside the BRC.  Lynchburg Parks & Recreation helped us usher the Bee City designation through city council last July and we then established the Bee City Working Committee.

Since then, our Bee City Working Committee has become a highly effective and cooperative group working on all kinds of conservation issues in our area. It is such a dynamic and positive group of people, some representation from the city, some with volunteer organizations.  The willingness of the City of Lynchburg to become a Bee City and to take the lead to work on these important conservation issues that impact our environment is really wonderful. We are excited to spearhead this project from within the state of Virginia in our efforts to increase habitat for pollinators, reduce pesticide/herbicide use and to raise awareness of these issues. It has been a successful and productive collaboration.