Northwest Beekeepers Association, wrote that he was unsure whether his club promotes pollinator gardening.18 Promoting current pollinator programs more effectively would provide more people with access and information and increase participation.
When most people encounter a stinging insect they usually try to kill it. Educating people about the intelligence, beauty and importance of the honey bee is essential. Beehives could be placed in public parks and at 4-H fairgrounds with demonstrations and honey tasting offered to the public. If people could see how docile honey bees can be, I believe they would develop a new appreciation for them.
Many people are unaware that there is even a pollinator crisis. How can the word be spread? Those who know need to make an effort to inform those who do not know. There are approximately 30 beekeeping clubs in Pennsylvania.19 If every club offered classes or meetings on the pollinator crisis and encouraged non-beekeepers to attend, I believe it would greatly increase people's knowledge of the pollinator problem.
Finally, I believe people may be intimidated by the work and expense required to maintain a certified pollinator garden. It's true, gardens take time to maintain. However, there are many little things homeowners can do that don't require much time at all. For example, leaving dandelions and clover growing in yards would benefit the pollinators and actually save homeowners time and money.
Planting milkweed along a property line or in a flower bed also requires little time or expense. There are many people in the state of Pennsylvania who know the importance of planting pollinator-friendly gardens. There are many more people who would enthusiastically embrace the idea of helping the honey bee if only they knew about the problem.
What better way to spread to the word to Pennsylvanians about the need to support pollinators than by changing our state nickname to the “Bee-Friendly State”. The new nickname could then be added to the state license plate along with a website address. Not only would the website provide pollinator information to Pennsylvanians but would also spread the news across the nation.