Did you know that the Okanagan-Similkameen area is a bee hot spot? This area is home to over 300 different species of bee!
Native bee species don't just include bumblebees - there are mason bees, leaf-cutter bees, and sweat bees too, among many others. Most of these bee speices are what we call "solitary bees". They do not make hives, live with other bees, or make honey. These solitary bees are critical to our food systems and our economy - it's estimated they contribute up to 1.2 billion dollars per year to Canadian crop yields! Populations of bees and other pollinators are dramatically declining due to many harmful human activities like pollution, habitat destruction, and misuse of pesticides and other chemicals
To learn more about what you can do and information how to garden for pollinators, visit the Resources section of our website: www.osstewardship.ca/resources .