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Beauty and the Bees!
Most of us have heard the dire reports from entomologists from across the country that we are losing our honeybee populations. The first reports came out in October of 2006.1 Bees are the primary pollinators for as much as one-third of our popular agricultural
products.1 The vanishing bee issue has been dubbed, “Colony Collapse Disorder”. There are many theories as to the cause of the decline in bee populations. Whatever the cause of the disorder is, the effect on hives across the nation is the same. Bees fly away from their hives and never return. They leave behind the egg-laying queen and a few young workers.1 While the scientists work to get to the bottom of this perplexing problem, it is important that we protect our wild bee populations from decline. According to Josie Glausiusz in the Discover article cited below, “One solution is to enhance the habitat for native bees around farmland-by planting hedgerows, for example, or leaving some land uncultivated...Another approach is to encourage managers of
semi-artifical environments like golf courses to surround the greens with the types of plants, like sunflowers, lupines, and black-eyed susans that attract native pollinators.” The author suggests the following for the average person to help alleviate the situation, “ordinary people can help keep pollinators abundant. For example, they can scatter hole-punched bee blocks in their gardens in which wild bees can nest. Vaughan of the Xerces Society encourages planting lots of backyard flowering plants that bloom year-round.” Vaughan is also quoted in the article as saying, ”But the best thing the average Joe can do is to reduce or eliminate his or her use of pesticides around the house. These kill more good pollinators than bad
things.”
1. “Across the Country honeybees are vanishing. What will farmers do if the buzzing stops?"
By Josie Glausiusz, Discover Magazine, July 2007
Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
Following the initial Litter Index tour, a group of two KNPLCB staff and one volunteer counted each piece of cigarette litter, including butts, packaging, and lighters in an initial test area. The test area was located in the blocks from Jeffers to Willow and from Hahn to William in North Platte, Nebraska. KNPLCB has joined with the national Cigarette Litter Prevention Program sponsored by Keep America Beautiful. Program implementation is planned for this summer and will include a four step process: 1. Review of Litter Laws;2. Public Service Announcements;3. Placement of ash receptacles; and 4. Distribution of 1000 pocket ashtrays. The group received a $2500 grant to participate in the program. Volunteers counted a total of 4012 pieces of cigarette related litter in this small area. The majority of the litter was located in business parking lots with only 2.4% in the residential section of this neighborhood. Most of the litter was located at corners or near the curbs of the streets and was more prevalent in areas that did not have visible ash receptacles. Cigarette butts are the number one litter problem in the nation. About 95% of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic which does not quickly degrade and can persist in the environment. According to KNPLCB’s Director, Angela Raby, “While cigarette litter may seem small, it adds up to a big impact on the places we live. Cigarette litter is unsightly. It gathers in corners, gutters, and outside doorways. Increasing amounts of litter in business districts and other signs of disorder create a sense that no one cares about the community.” Cigarette litter is also harmful to waterways and wildlife. About 18% of litter, traveling primarily through storm water systems, ends up in local rivers and waterways. Marine life and animals can be threatened when they mistake the litter for food. Cigarette litter requires additional sidewalk and street sweeping, greenway and park maintenance, storm drain cleaning, and increased maintenance of storm drain filters. Business owners bear the expense of cigarette litter clean-up around their establishments including entrances, exits, and adjacent sidewalks, and parking lots. Only about 10% of cigarette butts are deposited in litter receptacles. Because a cigarette butt is relatively small, many smokers discount its impact on the environment. The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program that will be implemented during the upcoming summer months was field tested for two years by other Keep America Beautiful affiliates in over a dozen U.S. cities and was found to reduce cigarette litter by as much as 46% by implement the four strategies
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