SF supervisor introduces resolution to protect bees
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - A member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will introduce a resolution Tuesday to protect bees and other pollinators in the city, according to officials from the San Francisco Department of Environment.
"I am proud to be introducing a resolution this week at the Board of Supervisors to designate San Francisco as a Bee City," Supervisor Katy Tang said in a statement.
"Through this resolution and our ongoing work to convert pavement to front yard gardens in the Sunset District, we are enhancing the livability of our neighborhoods, creating more sustainable habitats, and keeping our bees and other pollinators healthy," Tang said.
Joining one of the 30 other cities that have been designated "Bee Cities" would mean reducing pesticide use on city properties and restoring natural habitats for endangered pollinator species like the Mission Blue butterfly and the Green Hairstreak butterfly, Department of Environment officials said.
"Healthy bees and butterflies are a sign of healthy neighborhoods, which is why it's so important that we minimize our use of pesticides and choose plants in our gardens that support the health of pollinators," Debbie Raphael, Director of the San Francisco Department of Environment, said in a statement.
"We have so much biodiversity in our city and free tools like SFPlantFinder.org make it easy for everyone to foster healthy habitats, no matter how much of a green thumb you have," Raphael said.
The Department of Environment held a "Pollinator Fun Fair" at Playland on Sunday as part of an effort educate the public about native pollinators, native plants, and how to maintain and design gardens that promote them.
"Treating public land and our backyards like urban habitats is key in protecting local pollinators. It's where we see nature happen in the city," Amber Hasselbring, executive director of nonprofit Nature in the City,
said in a statement. "Residents, homeowners, gardeners - we all play a role."
The Department of Environment will hold a four-day training in October for landscape professionals, covering sustainable landscaping practices such as reducing pesticide use and conserving water.