NORCROSS (GWINNETT COUNTY), GA (MAY 26, 2020) – Bee City USA® has renewed the City of Norcross’ Bee City certification for 2020 following a rigorous renewal application process undergone by Norcross’ Bee City Subcommittee, the facilitating committee for the city’s efforts to engage the community in enhancing pollinator habitats.
Bee City USA®, an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, brings communities together to sustain pollinators by creating and enhancing habitats, reducing pesticide use and spreading awareness. Pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, moths, bats and hummingbirds) are responsible for the reproduction of 85% of the world’s flowering plants and more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species, however their populations have seen a rapid decline in recent years on account of habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
“The City of Norcross understands the importance of sustaining pollinators, which is why we applied to become a Bee City USA affiliate in 2018,” said City of Norcross Mayor Craig Newton. “I commend our Bee City Subcommittee for the impressive pollinator conservation work they completed last year, and look forward to their plans for the coming year.”
Michael Brose, chair of Norcross’ Bee City Subcommittee, attributes the committee’s success with pollinator conservation to City Planner Hannah Knab.
“We could not have accomplished creating a school pollinator garden, educating children and the public, and hosting the Pollinator Week event without Hannah’s assistance. As our staff liaison, she helped provide essential supplies, promoted our events and coordinated our work with the Brookhaven Innovation Academy.”
As Norcross moves into its second year with the Bee City designation, it aims to embark upon several new opportunities for raising awareness of the vital role pollinators play in supporting our planet’s ecosystems and food systems.
To see Norcross’s annual report along with those of other cities, visit beecityusa.org/annual-reports-city-2019.
For more information about the nationwide work of Bee City USA, visit beecityusa.org.
For information on City of Norcross as a Bee City, contact Hannah Knab at 678-421-2027 or hannah.knab@norcrossga.net.