At the May 3 Council meeting tomorrow, Micole Rubinoff of the Whitchurch-Stouffville Butterflyway Project will ask Council to designate the Town as an official Bee City.
Rubinoff and Devra Ranieri started the WS Butterflyway Project in 2021 hoping to get people more engaged with pollinator-friendly gardening and ecological stewardship focused on native plants.
A butterflyway is a path of 12 or more gardens, large or small, within the same area. This gives pollinators and insects a string of resources for feeding and rest.
Pesticides and land development are leading threats, and residents can help by growing more native, pollinator-friendly plants while avoiding the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides.
“The Bee City designation would have the municipality buying into the whole concept,” Rubinoff told us. “We’re trying to get people to plant native in their yards, it really can make a difference.”
Councillor Sue Sherban agrees and sees real value in the designation. “This would help promote and get the community more involved in planting native plants and flowers,” she told us.
Aside from setting an example, the Town would need to set clear goals for how they can further manage green and natural spaces in a way that aligns with these Bee City objectives.
“The Town does a lot already,” Rubinoff explained. “They’re not spraying pesticides, they do have naturalized areas…it’s just not all brought together in one package.”
WS Butterflyway Project is on Facebook and Instagram, and they will be at various community events this summer offering information, tips, seed starting kits, and native plants.
