Pollinator Day, Pittsboro, June 27

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension and North Carolina State University invite you to join in the celebration of National Pollinator Week June 24-30 with an afternoon of educational programs on Wednesday June 27 at Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro.
Did You Know?

About 75% of all flowering plant species need the help of animals to move their heavy pollen grains from plant to plant for fertilization. Most pollinators are beneficial insects such as flies, beetles, wasps, ants, butterflies, moths, and bees. A small percentage of pollinators are vertebrates such as hummingbirds, bats, and small mammals such as mice.

Pollinators are essential components of the habitats and ecosystems that many wild animals rely on for food and shelter. As landscapes are converted from wild to managed lands, many pollinators’ habitats may be destroyed or fragmented. These changes can lead to the loss of wildflowers used by pollinators for foraging, nesting, and/or egg-laying.

Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fiber, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend. Examples include blueberries, melons, chocolate, coffee, peaches, vanilla, almonds, apples, oranges, lemons, carrots, avocados, onions, broccoli, and much more!

Honey bees are the primary insect pollinator of approximately 100 crops nationwide. Honey bees are responsible for one-third of everything that people eat every day! In North Carolina, many of the economically important crops such as cucumbers, apples, blueberries, and melons are dependent on honey bees for pollination and account for $100 million every year.

We have a full afternoon of educational programs scheduled for inside the store. Come learn about the fascinating world of pollinators, their role in our food system and ecosystem, and what you can do to help protect them.

1:00-1:45 pm – Protect our Pollinators and Plant a Bee Garden (that looks great and provides forages for both honey bees and native bees!) – Presentation by Debbie Roos, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Chatham County Center

1:45-2:30 pm – Watch “bee TV” (observation hive), view exhibits, meet and mingle with NCSU faculty and Chatham Beekeepers, ask your burning questions…

2:30-3:15 pm – How to Become a Backyard Beekeeper – Presentation by Dr. David Tarpy, NCSU Apiculture Specialist

3:15-4:00 pm – Watch “bee TV” (observation hive), view exhibits, meet and mingle with NCSU faculty and Chatham Beekeepers, ask your burning questions…

4:00-4:45 pm – Overview of North Carolina Pollinators – Presentation by Dr. Steve Bambara, NCSU Entomology Specialist

You will also be able to visit the produce section of Chatham Marketplace to learn which crops are pollinated by honey bees and what this means to North Carolina’s economy. And check out the special display of the many products of the hive available at Chatham Marketplace, including honey harvested by Chatham County Beekeepers! Debbie Roos, Chatham County Agricultural Extension Agent, will also debut her new website on “Gardening for the Bees”.

For more information on these events, contact Debbie Roos at debbie_roos@ncsu.edu or call Chatham Marketplace at 919-542-2643. Visit their website at http://www.chathammarketplace.com/ for directions and store information.

We hope to see you there! Bring your family and join in the fun

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Organic and Sustainable Agriculture
North Carolina State University
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Chatham County Center
Growing Small Farms Website:
http://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms
Post Office Box 279
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Email: debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
Phone: 919.542.8202 Fax: 919.542.8246