Living Systems Institute is sponsoring the “Bee Safe Neighborhoods” campaign to create living spaces where honeybees and other pollinators can propagate without the effects of toxic chemicals.

We encourage people to stop using all poisons so a healthy ecosystem can develop wherein all pests become food for their predators. Elimination of poisons will also decrease the toxins that can run off into surface water and accumulate in the soil.We will ask our neighbors to increase safe habitats for honey bees by landscaping with safe plants (uncontaminated by neonicotinoids or systemics) that can provide pollen and nectar to pollinators through spring, summer and fall. We will inform neighbors about neonicotinoids and systemics found in plants that are available for purchase at chain stores and in many garden centers and plant nurseries.

” . . . my involvement with Bee Safe Neighborhoods has been nothing short of transformative. We are elated that we were successful in turning Normal Park, Ypsilanti into the first Bee Safe Neighborhood in Michigan and we have already been invited to canvass an adjacent neighborhood. So onto the next journey. I wonder what it will bring?”Melissa Sklar, Bee Safe Normal Park, Ypsilanti, Michigan

“We were so fortunate that everyone from the Normal Park neighborhood were open to knowing and learning more and having honest discussion about the issues surrounding the use of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. No door was shut in our face, thus our morale never waivered and our committment only strengthened. This journey has also shown me how much the power of grassroots activism can impact a neighborhood, community, and beyond.”Germaine Smith, Bee Safe Normal Park, Ypsilanti, Michigan

The goal is to have leaders from as many neighborhoods as possible solicit pledges from their neighbors to stop using systemic poisons. The minimum number of households required for a bee safe neighborhood designation is 75 in a contiguous block. If a neighbor on a particular street does not wish to participate, the boundary lines of the contiguous block will be configured to exclude that household. In other words, every neighbor on every street does not need to participate in order to have a contiguous block. Please see the diagram for an example of how one contiguous block might look. The households not participating are shown in red. Each neighborhood will probably have a unique configuration depending on the participation of neighbors

BEE SAFE INFORMATION CARD

The Honor Roll of Certified Bee Safe Neighborhoods

1.Melody/Catalpa Neighborhood, Boulder, CO 174 pledges

Palmyra Neighborhood, Wheat Ridge, CO 85 pledges

3.Clifton/Farifax Station Neighborhood, Clifton, VA 81 pledges

4.Kendall/Endicott Neighborhood, Boulder, CO 91 pledges

5.East Foothills -Crescent Neighborhood, Boulder, CO 96 pledges

6.Normal Park, Ypsilanti, MI 120 Pledges

7.Mapleton Home Park, Boulder, CO 92 Pledges

8.Wurster Park, Ann Arbor, MI 136 Pledges

BEE SAFE COMMUNITIES

Not every one lives in a neighborhood of single family homes and there are organizations that control the use of poisons on landscapes. We encourage people in all situations to contribute to the health of our habitat by pledging to not use systemic poisons. Here is the Honor Roll of those communities.

1.First Presbyterian Church of Boulder

2.Mapleton Montessori School

3.First Congregational Church of Boulder

4. Kendall/Endicott Neighborhood, Boulder, CO 91 pledges

5. East Foothills -Crescent Neighborhood, Boulder, CO 96 pledges

6.Normal Park, Ypsilanti, MI 120 Pledges

7.Mapleton Home Park, Boulder, CO 92 Pledges

8. Wurster Park, Ann Arbor, MI 136 Pledges

Below are some Bee Safe Neighborhood Coordinators who have agreed to share their information in the hopes of collaborating with other pollinator allies!

ONTARIO, CANADA

NEEBING, Nicole Landgraff Wegner, 1141 Candy Mountain Drive, landgrniATtbh.net

USA

CALIFORNIA

OAKLAND, Celeste Ets-Hokin, 94606 Haddon Hill, Celeste.etsATcomcast.net

C O L O R A D O

APPLEWOOD, David Braden, Golden, 80401, Applewood Neighborhood
AURORA, Scott Painter, 80016, e_scottpainterATmsn.com
BOULDER, Molly Greacen, Boulder, Melody-Catalpa (BEE SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD – over 150 pledges.
BOULDER, Janet Kilby, Boulder, 80305, Table Mesa South, jskilbyATgmail.com (91 PLEDGES)
BOULDER, Leslie Ratica, 80303, East Foothills-Crescent, lratica AT comcast.net, (86 Pledges)
BOULDER, David Ward, Boulder, ZIP, Neighborhood Name, davidewardATme.com (1 PLEDGE)
BOULDER, The Rodgers, Boulder 80304, Neighborhood Name, cookandpeteATq.com (1 PLEDGE)
BOULDER, The Bellehumeurs, Boulder, 80302, Neighborhood Name, tracyATsugarloaf.net (1 PLEDGE)
BOULDER, Dan Bench, Boulder, 80304, Neighborhood Name, danbench25ATgmail.com (1 PLEGE)
BOULDER, The Mathesons, Boulder, 80301, Palo Park, tiercevATyahoo.com (1 PLEDGE)
BOULDER, Mike Wade, 80302, mikeATbbbseed.com
BOULDER, Kristen Marshall, 80304, marshallATindra.com
BOULDER, Diane Merker, 2727 4th St., 80304, diane AT positive-energy.com
BOULDER, Marti Oetzel, 425 Drake St., 80305, marti AT birdhike.com
BOULDER, Cathy Conery, 3203 3rd St., 80304, Newlands Neighborhood, cathy.conery AT me.com
BOULDER, Dale Ball, 4595 Whitney Place, 80305, Majestic Heights, daleball56 AT gmail.com
BOULDER, Jennifer Cornell, 2635 Mapleton #90, 80304, Mapleton Home Park, frenchyjen AT gmail.com
BROOMFIELD, Don Studinski, Broomfield, Neighborhood Name, dstudinATyahoo.com (27 PLEDGES)
CARBONDALE, Mark Burrows, mark AT beespeak.comCENTENNIAL, Diana Silva, 80122, diana123silvaATgmail.com
DENVER, Robert Austin and Kevin Borfitz, 80211, West Highlands Neighborhood, THE.BOYS AT ME.COM
DENVER, The Thompsons, City, ZIP, Ruby Hill Neighborhood, sharona_t AT hotmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
DENVER, Deb Neeley (and Erik Running), Denver, 80212, Sloan Lake Neighborhood, Neeley.DebATgmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
DENVER, Stephanie Gustafson, 80205, Clayton neighborhood (North City Park), stephanie.gustafsonATgmail.com
DENVER, Deborah Lebow Aal and Roslyn Bauer, 80209, West Wash Park neighborhood, drlebowATgmail.com
DENVER, Rebecca R. Knapp, 80211, LoHi Neighborhood, rebecca_knappAThotmail.com
DENVER, Kimberly Rickards, 80206, Congress Park Neighborhood, krickards3ATgmail.com
DENVER, Helene Orr, 80223, Overland Neighborhood, heleneorr AT gmail.com
ELIZABETH, Denise Drummond, 80107, simcofamATgmail.com
ENGLEWOOD, Jane Hoogendyk, 80113, janehoogendykATyahoo.com
ENGLEWOOD, Tanya Faust, 80110, estasalliATgmail.com
EVERGREEN, The Richards, Evergreen, 80439, Neighborhood Name, MSRichardsATaol.com (1 PLEDGE)
FORT COLLINS, Annabelle Berklund, annabelle.berklund AT gmail.comGREELEY, Darci Hata, drchata AT outlook.com
GOLDEN, The Lachnitts, Golden, 80401, Neighborhood Name, lachnittgATgmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
GOLDEN, Kelly Carlisle, 1440 Kingsbury Ct., 80401 rosemoonjune AT gmail.com
LAFAYETTE, Kent Brown, 704 E. Cleveland St., Old Town Neighborhood, 80026 kent.brownATq.com
LAKEWOOD, Jennifer Leduc, 80232, jenniferleducATgmail.com
LAKEWOOD, Cindy Monical, Bennett Bear Creek Neighborhood, clmonicalATcomcast.net
LAKEWOOD, Kristen De Lay, Southern Gables, kristenddelay AT gmail.com
LAKEWOOD, Gabriela Hydle, Green Mountain Estates, 80228 ghydle AT nineproductions.com
LONGMONT, Avery Ellis, 80504, Hillcrest Estates, AveryATbackyardrevolutions.com
LONGMONT, Don Murray & Diana Shellenberger, 80503-2106, Longmont Estates, donATbuddhaandthebees.net (1 Pledge)
LONGMONT, Andrey Belous, 80503, andrey.belousATyahoo.com
LONGMONT, The Sommers, Longmont, 80504, Neighborhood Name, thebiscuit39AThotmail.com, (1 PLEDGE)
LONGMONT, Liana Street, Old Town Neighborhood, barkingburt AT gmail.com
LOUISVILLE, The McQuies, 80027.Coal Creek South, bmcquieATyahoo.com (1 PLEDGE)
NIWOT, Norm Klapper, Niwot, 80503, Neighborhood Name, NbKlapperATgmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
PARKER, Karla Anderson, sewprettiATaol.com
WESTMINSTER, The Beatys, Westminster, 80031, Westminister Hills Neighborhood, ecology4bodyATgmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
WESTMINSTER, The Dwyers, Westminster, 80004, kit_dwyerATmsn.com (1 PLEDGE)
WESTMINSTER, Anita Hartmann, 11398 Lamar St., 80020, AnitaHartmannATLHSGRP.com
WHEAT RIDGE, The Griffiths, Wheat Ridge, 80033-8048, Palmyra Neighborhood, ngrifbeauty11ATgmail.com (85 PLEDGES)
CITY, The Lanters, City, ZIP, Neighborhood Name, langere8dATgmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
CITY, The Robinsons, City, Neighborhood Name, estherdrobinsonAThotmail.com (1 PLEDGE)
CITY, The Lindemans, City, Neighborhood Name, sonjalindemanATgmail.com (1 PLEDGE)

FLORIDA

ORLANDO, Lisa Ray, Audubon Park, lisaray1955ATgmail.com

GEORGIA

ATLANTA, Leslie Inman, 1709 N. Pelham Road, 30324, Morningside Neighborhood, leslieinman1 AT gmail.com

MARYLAND

BALTIMORE, Bill Castro, 21229, Ten Hills Neighborhood, billiam1969 AT gmail.com
ELLICOTT CITY, Leslie Bechis, 21042, Chatham/Bethgate/Valley Mede, leslie.bechis AT gmail.com

MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor, Melissa Sklar, 332 McComb St., 48108, Buhr Park and Doyle Park Neighborhoods, silverairATsbcglobal.net (1 PLEDGE)
ANN ARBOR, Rita Mitchell and Eileen Dickinson, Wurster Park Neighborhood, ritalmitchellATgmail.com or edickinsATumich.edu
ANN ARBOR, Kate Pittsley-Sousa, Crest/Washington Neighborhood, kate.pittsleyATemich.edu
Ann Arbor, Kathleen Peabody, 2810 Verle Ave., Verle and Marshall Neighborhood, [email protected]
Ypsilanti, Germaine Smith and Melissa Sklar, Normal Park, germaineosmithATgmail.com or silverairATsbcglobal.net

PENNSYLVANIA

PHILADELPHIA, John Lockwood, Mastery Pickett Community Garden, Germantown, pedalperu2AThotmail.com
PHILADELPHIA, Miriam Fisher Schaefer Philadelphia, 19118, East Evergreen Avenue, mschaefe AT @aol.com

VIRGINIA

ALEXANDRIA, Samantha Gallagher. 22304, Latham St. South, pollinatorplates AT gmail.com
CLIFTON, Margaret Fisher, Clifton, 20124, Clifton/Fairfax Station, 1margaret.e.fisherATgmail.com (110 PLEDGES)
FAIRFAX, 2 girl scouts c/o Karen Prante, 22032,Country Club View, kprante AT verizon.net

WASHINGTON

VANCOUVER, Michelle Zabell, 609 NW 131st St., 98685, momtolovebugs AT gmail.com