Columbus adopts Bee City USA designation to protect pollinators

Columbus is going to become a friendly place for bees and other pollinators.

Columbus City Council last night approved efforts to have the city designated as a Bee City USA.

The Bee City USA designation is awarded by the Xerces Society and Columbus would be the first Bee City USA in Indiana. According to the society, Bee City USA works to sustain pollinators by increasing native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides. Bee cities also encourage pollinator conservation through education and outreach.

A Columbus Pollinator Committee has been pursuing the designation. A series of free public programs has been held throughout the summer, encouraging planting of native plants and flowers that provide vital food to pollinators such as butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

Parks staff said the fees for the Bee City application would be paid by the Park Foundation through donations, not from city funds.