Happy Earth Day!!! One of our favorite holidays! What will you do to celebrate or give back to the Earth today?
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22 which marks the anniversary of the modern environmental movement that started in 1970. The first Earth Day in 1970 provided a voice to environmental awareness and concerns to the public.
The Environment has come a long way since the 1970's, but we still have a long way to go. We are already seeing changed weather patterns and temperatures that will continue to worsen without a huge commitment to change. So, at least for one day (Earth Day), take some time to think about how you could make changes to improve the Earth for yourself, your family and future generations. One at a time, we can make a big change!
One of my favorite quotes: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” ―Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Our bees thank you for the part you plan in improving the environment. Honeybees and many native bees play an important role in the ecosystem. Honeybees alone pollinate about 35% of all agricultural production that includes about 90 different commercially grown foods in the United States.
How do we protect the environment at Griesemer Beekeeping? How can you protect the environment?
1. Read the Lorax or other Environmental educational books to children. Allow them to understand the importance of the world around them and their part in the world.
2. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Think this was only for school children? NO. Buying in bulk to reduce packaging and bottles can make a big impact. Use reuseable water bottles, containers for food storage and grocery bags versus disposable plastic bags and plastic water bottle. Recycle- we can't eliminate everything, but most of what we use can be recycled. Even if your trash company doesn't provide recycling, the Berks County Recycling Center is open and many townships provide recycling opportunities too. Yes, it takes time and commitment but is easy once you form the habit!
***Did you know we can reuse the glass honey jars??? We are able to wash and sanitize the jars to be reused with a new lid! You can drop off honey jars on our porch any time! We appreciate when customers help us to reuse the jars. Thank you to those customers who do!***
3. Reduce mowing your yard. Yards can increase infiltration of water from surface runoff during rain events. Mowing your yard weekly, may not be needed all season. Also, don't mow the grass less than 3" it will reduce the health of the grass and reduce infiltration compacity.
4. Allow wildflowers to grow. A weed is only a plant growing in a location that it is not wanted. So think twice before calling the white clover, dandelion, wild carrot, or chicory that may be growing in yard a weed. These wildflowers can provide pollen and nectar for bees.
5. Plant native plants. Native plants are adapted for growing in your area. They provide shelter and food to native wildlife. They will provide a healthy biodiversity to your yard and will create a beautiful landscape!
We are working on landscaping our new location with native species to improve the environment on our farm. We are enjoying the native milkweed meadow that provides food and habitat for monarchs, honeybees, native bees, moths and more. We will continue to plant sunflowers that provide a great pollen source for bees and food source for birds. You may also notice that our grass can be tall at times, but we want the bees to enjoy the dandelions and clover in our yard. We actually plan to increase the amount of clover in our yard along with native plants that bloom at different times of the year to extend the food sources for native species as well as our honey bees. This is just the start for our plans, but we hope to create an environmentally friendly farm for our bees, native species, wildlife and reduce our environmental impact for future generations.
Share how you celebrated Earth Day with us by posting a picture to our Facebook page. We love to hear from our customers!
