POLLINATOR SUPPORT PROGRAM
MEET OUR PROGRAM CHAMPIONS
https://www.honeyflow.com/about/sustainability/pollinator-support/p/428
and AU: https://www.honeyflow.com.au/pages/pollinator-support-program
Funding for Pollinator Projects
Flow Hive is donating 100% of profits from sales of our Flow Pollinator House that sold out last year in the United States and Australia. This funding is allocated to organizations that support local grassroots pollinator projects in these two countries.
After a careful selection process by our Judging Panel, and your input voting for your favorite project, we are pleased to announce the nine projects that will receive funding for 2018:
USA PROJECTS FUNDED
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Effective Pollinator Gardening in the Big Country
Planting of demonstration pollinator gardens with plants suitable to the local native pollinators for ongoing use in education and community engagement.
Big Country Master Gardener Association (BCMGA)
The proposed project involves working to create new pollinator gardens and enhance existing gardens at three nonprofit sites in Abilene, Texas involving on-going BCMGA activities and using those sites as venues for educating the public regarding creation and support of pollinator gardens throughout the community. The three sites include Swenson House, FaithWorks and First Central Presbyterian Church (FCPC) Meditation Garden. This project will also involve the BCMGA Greenhouse Committee which will identify, purchase and promulgate native plants for use at BCMGA projects. Junior Master Gardeners, another outreach of BCMGA will participate in pollinator education for children as allowed by the curriculum of participating schools. Children participating in Junior Master Gardeners, as well as children throughout the community, will be invited to join the educational events while some educational events will specifically target children.
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Enhancing Pollinator Habitat and Education at the DPS Hub Farm
Upgrading bee yard facilities with students to engage community in pollinator education initiatives.
Durham Public Schools Hub Farm
We will improve our ability to engage students and the community with pollinator education through three projects: Project 1) We will improve the safety and aesthetics of our bee yard through the addition of a viewing platform, observation benches, an attractive fence, a border of pollinator plants, and interpretive signage. This will enable us to more effectively and safely educate students on our daily field trips. Project 2) We will purchase two demonstration hives for educational use: one that will stay permanently installed at the Hub Farm, and a separate single-frame viewer model that we can bring to schools and community events. Project 3) We will celebrate the grand opening of our new bee yard by hosting a community celebration including refreshments made with farm produce and prepared by our students, local music, and fun activities for all ages during World Bee Day 2019.
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Urban Pollinator Awareness Project
Develop a curriculum module on beekeeping and the importance of pollinators for delivery to university and community members and run a demonstration workshop series.
The intent of the Urban Pollinator Awareness Project is to develop a module to teach within the University of San Franciscoâs Environmental Studies curriculum and in association with student and volunteer groups, to inform the community of the need to help urban pollinators. Such support would include the planting of native plant gardens, building and installing pollinator houses, establishing direct engagement with youth groups, and increasing awareness through social and traditional media. We will also run beehive demonstrations in our community garden and train the trainer workshops. The projectâs action group would be comprised of students and faculty from all aspects of USFâs academic schools - Education, Business, Health Profession, Arts & Sciences, and Law. Such an approach helps the students gain experience working in a cross-functional group to achieve a common goal and brings a broader skill set to bear to enable action, education, and advocacy.
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Mobile Pollinator Garden Creation Station
Empower community to plant pollinator gardens by providing training and access to a mobile trailer equipped with all necessary tools and supplies.
ADK Action Adirondack Pollinator Project
AdkAction will coordinate with partners to plan and implement pollinator conservation on public and private lands in the Adirondack Park. and create a shared-use âMobile Pollinator Garden Creation Stationâ to help reduce the cost and time required to install community-level pollinator gardens. This 2-year project will engage volunteers and local organizations to create 40 pollinator gardens that meet conservation requirements. The Creation Station will be an enclosed trailer containing tools and supplies necessary to create a pollinator garden. Currently, when a community group, volunteer, or homeowner decides to install a pollinator garden, they face many economic and logistical challenges. AdkAction will create the mobile, colorful trailer full of tools and supplies necessary to mobilize volunteers to create pollinator gardens quickly and efficiently. In addition, we will hold training sessions to empower landowners, volunteers, teachers, and other potential community leaders to install a new pollinator garden in their community.
AUSTRALIAN PROJECTS FUNDED
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Native Bee Workshop
Conduct workshops to educate the community about native bees and how to keep them, and stock a nursery with pollinator-friendly tree stock.
James Cook University Community Gardens
Our project will fund a bi-annual Native Bee Workshop for the community to learn about native solitary bees and stingless bees. The event gives attendees the information they need to build their own Original Australian Trigona Hive (native beehive) and keep their own native stingless bees at home. Held near our nursery which stocks herbs and natives known to be stingless bee âfavouritesâ, participants can buy native trees that are known to be good suppliers of resin and pollen. We would also install a fully operational native bee hive on site for members and students to observe, as well as serving as a prop for the workshops. We would like to establish permanent stock in our nursery of Lemon Scented Gum, swamp Bloodwood, Red Flowering Gum, Lemon Myrtle and Pin Cushion Hakea, as well as smaller herbs and flowers such as Basil, Daisies and Marigolds among many more. The profits from the sales will be used to purchase new stock supplies.
Barcoding Bees for Biodiversity Assessments
Investigate the true diversity of native bee species using DNA barcoding.
Bees in the 'burbs in a biodiversity hotspot
Our project will provide a robust, accurate way to ascertain the true diversity of native bees in the urbanised region of the southwest WA biodiversity hotspot. Using cutting-edge molecular technology, to DNA barcode the native bee specimens I have collected during my surveys of native bees in the urbanised region of southwest WA.
Despite being a biodiversity hotspot, no systematic surveys of native bees have ever been undertaken. Most concerning is that most native bees in Australia have yet to be described. With no formal descriptions, and existing descriptions being of limited use when published over a century ago, and few taxonomic keys, providing an inventory of the species we have here is challenging. DNA barcoding, however, is a robust way, that has been applied across taxa, to delineate species. Each species has its own molecular signature, and by using the distinct DNA sequences, this allows species to be delineated with confidence and is a key tool used to complement traditional morphology-based taxonomic assignments.
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Introduction to bees and Pollinators (school holiday program)
Inspire pollinator champions through a school holiday education program for children hosted by a beekeeping club.
Our goal is to educate 120-160 primary school-age children about bees and pollinators through a school holiday education program held at Illawarra Beekeepers facility in Sutherland. We plan to hold 6 x 3-hour sessions. During the session, students will learn about how pollinators provide an essential ecosystem service and ways they can help to protect bees and pollinators. They will learn about honey bees and how they differ from native bees and have an opportunity to dress in protective clothing and see inside a beehive, learn about harvesting honey from a Flow Hive versus a traditional hive. Participants will be shown how to make pollinator homes, and be given one, along with an information pack to take home to encourage home activities, like planting a flower garden, and encouragement to continue participating at the Club.
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Trees for Bees â âBees Need Trees and Trees Need Bees!"
Support schools to install native bee hives and plant pollinator habitat.
BeardsOn BraidsOn for Conservation
We install native beehives and gardens into NSW schools. We support schools to install: Australian Stingless Native (Tetragonula Carbonaria) beehives and create habitat by planting endemic native trees, shrubs and bush-tucker foods that provide habitat and food for pollinators, wildlife and ultimately humans. The garden design layout is structured around Aboriginal designs and symbols including the Rainbow Serpent, Emu, Meeting Place, or any other suitable and approved designs proposed by students. Once construction is completed the hive (or hives) are installed, and we mark the occasion with an âunveilingâ of the hive by an indigenous student, or nominated member of the school community. We adopt a whole school approach, by encouraging them to take ownership and ongoing management of the project. We have a number of schools on a waiting list for our âTrees for Beesâ program, and this project funding would enable another school to participate.
AWARDED PART-FUNDING
Due to each project applying for different amounts of funds, there were some funds remaining. We allocated these funds towards the project with the next highest votesâ
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Siskiyou Seeds for Pollinators by Bee Girl
Research the quality of different flower types for pollinators and develop a top quality seed mix for use in the community.
USA & AUSTRALIAN RUNNER-UP PROJECTS
Runner-up projects have been awarded a Flow Pollinator House.
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Hive Mind by Think Like a Bee
Engaging communities to plant a web of pollinator habitat corridors throughout the city.
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Bee-friendly Community Gardens by 3000acres
Conduct workshops in community gardens on beekeeping, native bees, pollinator habitat and building pollinator hotels, and support the gardens to become a hub for pollinator protection.
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Habitat for Homes by Mullumbimby SEED
Create a pollinator habitat at a community garden and conduct workshops on honey bees and pollinators that engage the community in protecting pollinators.
Pollinator habitat is crucial for the existence and wellbeing of all pollinators. Honey bees and native pollinators are responsible for pollinating a third of the worldâs food crops.
We believe these projects offer real-life experiences for people to get involved in, visit and be an active part of. Bringing people together in community projects helps to build stewards who will care for all pollinators for generations to come.
This funding was made possible by the sales of our Pollinator House. A beautiful home for native solitary pollinators, made from the up-cycled off-cuts of timber from the Flow Hive manufacturing process. The Pollinator House was so popular, it sold out in a week. But donât worry, we hope to have it back in stock soon, you can join the waiting list to be the first to hear about future updates.
Meet Our Judges
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Kelly Rourke
Senior Program Manager
Pollinator Partnership
USA
Kelly Rourke is the Senior Program Manager of North American focused non-profit Pollinator Partnership (P2), based out of San Francisco, California.
Pollinator Partnershipâs mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research.
Kelly holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Anthropology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She has also received a Masterâs of Science in Environmental Management (Ecology Concentration) from the University of San Francisco. Her background in ecology, conservation, and culture has propelled her career in the non-profit sector. Kelly manages the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), National Pollinator Week, www.pollinator.org, and P2 grants and scholarships. Through this work Kelly strives to promote pollinators and the critical role they play in ecosystem health and food security, providing humans with one out of three bites of food we eat. Learn more at www.pollinator.org.
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Lyn Thomson
Schools Landcare Officer
Australia
Lyn Thomson has worked with Richmond Landcare since 2010 as their Schoolâs Officer. At present they have over fifty-member schools. Over the years, Lyn has worked with many schools, teachers and students on various environmental projects, from installing âCool Cubbiesâ and frog hotels to studying local wetlands as well as many other projects. A few years ago, she became fascinated with Australian native bees, and began incorporating them into her work.
Many of Lynâs projects are about pollinator habitats, due to loss of habitat through development. She work with students and teachers to create pollinator habitats that are also spaces filled with wonder where children can learn about the importance of gardens and pollination and the myriad of plants, animals and insects who inhabit them.
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Mark Dykes
ApiWorks
Maryland, USA
Mark Dykes has a vibrant hands-on history of working for honey bees and native pollinators, with a focus on habitat restoration.
He is the former Chief Inspector for the Texas Apiary Inspection Service and a former supervisor for the Florida Department of Agriculture. He has previously worked as the apiary manager for Dr. Jamie Ellis at the University of Florida. Currently, he runs a honey bee education and management firm in Maryland called Apis Works .
Prior to working with honey bees he worked for The Nature Conservancy in Florida in habitat restoration. His experience has resulted in Mark becoming a vocal advocate for a systems approach to habitat management and restoration. He has worked with several government and private entities advising them on habitat management including the City of Austin Texas and private landowners in Texas and Florida.
Heâs also created and lectured on native pollinators to the Texas Master Beekeeper Program (TMBP) participants. The program encourages beekeeper to learn about native pollinators and how they can help provide habitat. And he has been a part of several native pollinator habitat plantings and research projects with the University of Floridaâs Honey Bee Lab. Included in this was participating in a Xerces Society planting of pollinator rows at a blueberry farm and installing and monitoring urban native bee nesting sites throughout the city of Gainesville, FL.
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Free Raine
Representing the Flow worker bees
Flow Headquarters
Australia
Free has worked with Flow for 2 years but has been passionate about bees for as long as she can remember. Fascinated by bees as a child, she would visit the local honey man with her dad and collected her first honey at 9 years of age. Many years on, Free and is still an enthusiast.
She took up a position with the Flow team after seeing Flow on Australian Story and realizing this was the type of company she always wanted to work for. She has now found her colony â it seems it was just meant to bee.
Free is also studying Social Science because she is just as fascinated by the social structures of humans as she is with those of bees. She is constantly finding parallels between humans and bees in the way they cooperate and communicate (and dance!) and is excited about getting more communities involved in supporting pollinators to do the important work they do.
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Cedar Anderson
Flow Hive Co-Inventor
Australia
Stuart and Cedar Anderson, a father and son team from Australia invented the Flow frame technology, which has inspired thousands of new beekeepers around the world. An invention which took a lifelong love of bees and over a decade of work
Cedar grew up on a bushland âintentional communityâ in the Rainbow Region of NSW, Australia. He didnât have a telly growing up, instead he spent his time tinkering and coming up with crazy inventions to delight his friends and family.
As an adult, work revolved his other consuming passion, flight, as a paragliding instructor and capturing aerial footage for Greenpeace.
Having been a third-generation beekeeper since the tender age of six, it was during a particularly nasty summer honey harvest that Cedar decided, âthere had to be a better way.â Now, Cedar is at the head of Australian manufacturing success story, Flow, having shipped more than 51,000 orders all around the world.
As part of the companyâs commitment to business with positive purpose, AU$40,000 (approx US$15,000 in the USA and AU$20,000 Australia) was offered to not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and community groups, to projects which support pollinating insects. Organizations applied for funding from $1000 â $5000.
The Pollinator Support Program funded projects that, for example, plant or protect pollinator habitat, educate people about the importance of pollinators and how to help them, or advocate on behalf of pollinators.
Program Key Dates
| 20 May | Official Launch of Pollinator Support Program World Bee Day |
|---|---|
| 20 May - 28 June | Funding Application Round Open (6 weeks) |
| 28 June | Funding Application Round Closes. Judges commence assessment |
| 24 July | Announcement of shortlisted projects & voting open |
| 24 July - 14 August | Vote for your favourite projects (3 weeks) |
| 18 August | Announcement of successful applicants on USA National Honey Bee Day |
Flowâs Mission
At Flow, we aim to have a regenerative impact on the planet through innovation in beekeeping that connects people to nature and inspires care for our shared world.
A very intricate relationship has developed between plants and their pollinators, as both parties rely on one another for survival.
However, with the increase in intensive agricultural farming, monoculture, pesticide and insecticide use, the very existence of pollinators is threatened, which in turn threatens our existence. Without bees and other pollinators, we would live in a food desert.
Responsible Beekeeping
As beekeepers, it is our responsibility to look after and care for our bees, as custodians of these incredible creatures.
We can further help bees by providing habitat for them, and other pollinators. By creating a garden mindfully, you can help pollinatorsâeven if you donât keep bees yourself.
Just like humans, bees need a well-rounded diet, which is why growing a variety of flowering plants (providing different types of pollen and nectar) is so important. Check out our Bee-friendly Gardening Factsheet for more information.