{"id":83321,"date":"2018-06-05T17:24:02","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T21:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=83321"},"modified":"2023-11-17T15:47:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T20:47:25","slug":"ucf-gets-an-a-for-its-bee-campus-usa-designation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-gets-an-a-for-its-bee-campus-usa-designation\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Gets an A+ for its Bee Campus USA Designation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bee Campus USA recently announced 166su is the 46th educational institution in the nation to be certified as an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program, designed to marshal the strengths of campuses for the benefit of pollinators.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur designation as a Bee Campus USA builds on our ongoing commitment to address global concerns over the decline in pollinators, especially in urban settings,\u201d 166su’s Arboretum director Patrick Bohlen says. \u201cIt also builds on other pollinator initiatives we have joined, including the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge and the Nature Conservancy Monarch Initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur designation as a Bee Campus USA builds on our ongoing commitment to address global concerns over the decline in pollinators.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2016, the Arboretum worked with 166su’s Landscape and Natural Resources to plant the campus\u2019s first pollinator gardens. Since then the campus has established another large pollinator garden near Colbourn Hall. The university\u2019s horticultural staffers are using these areas to test different native and non-native pollinator plants to determine which species perform best on campus.<\/p>\n

Last year, the university also placed three honeybee hives in the Arboretum<\/a> to help improve pollinator activity on campus. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating 80 percent of worldwide pollination.<\/p>\n

“Imperiled pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 90 percent of the world\u2019s wild plant and tree species,\u201d Bee Campus USA director Phyllis Stiles says. \u201c166su is a stellar example of the influence educational institutions can have on their students and the broader community. Their talented faculty, staff and students offer an invaluable resource for Central Florida residents in seeking ways to manage ornamental landscapes in more wildlife-friendly ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

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