Author: Jordan Soldaczewski
Buffalo Rising paired up with Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke Monday evening to host an event at The Terrace at Delaware Park which dives further into the recent article, “What is being done to save the bees and how can you help?”
The main topic of the event was the recent enactment of The City of Buffalo’s new Green Code, which now expressly allows for urban bee-keeping, as well as proposed legislation by Legislator Burke that would limit the use of certain pesticides.
The “Save the Bees” event began with mingling around the bar at the newly renovated restaurant, The Terrace. Guests were able to roam about the patio and the rest of the facility with a “Hunny Bee” in hand, the specialty drink of the night which was made of gin, lemon, honey, and champagne.
At 6 p.m. the panel of speakers began the conversation outside under the patio tent. The conversation started by discussing the new legislation surrounding urban beekeeping and what citizens can do to help save the bees and other wild pollinators. Speakers for the event included Hon. Patrick Burke, Erie County Legislature; Chris Hawley, City of Buffalo; David Clark, The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens; and Erin Masterson Holko, Masterson’s Garden Center.
Points were raised by local botanical gardens representative David Clark about the importance of pollinators and how we can help bees. “If we lose all of our pollinators, we have four years to live. That’s how important they are. It’s not only for human beings but it’s also for our livestock, our chickens, things like that,” Clark said.
Erin Masterson Holko of Masterson’s Garden Center told her story on how she became a bee-keeper and gave everyone a word of encouragement that they could become bee-keepers too. Holko recommends that you research a lot before making your decision but if and when you do decide to become a bee-keeper, the garden center offers workshops and supplies to get you started. There are certain requirements to keep a hive on your property as listed in the Green Code and can be found in this article.
Event attendee, Justin Sullivan said he did not realize how much the bees were actually in danger until hearing from the speakers. “While I most likely will not become a beekeeper, I was eager to learn what I could do to save the bees. I have wildflower seeds which I know helps, but I didn’t realize there is so much more I can do to directly and indirectly help the bee population. I learned how invasive species and climate change impact the bee population. So I think being earth conscious and eco-friendly can have a domino effect and help this issue. I just hope people can realize that before it comes too late,” Sullivan said.
Besides keeping honey bees, there are many other species of pollinators that can be helped through the planting of native pants and wildflowers. A big discussion during the panel was the maintenance of urban lawns. Planting flowers on lawns instead of or in addition to grass would give wild pollinators a higher chance of survival. Some of the smaller bee species can only fly the equivalent of three city blocks before they need food again, or they may die. We also learned that many bee species burrow into the ground so leaving areas of the garden bare and with out cover is a good thing! However we must be careful when planting because you want plant native plants or you may inhibit the growing of an invasive species. Here is a Native Plant Guide for Western New York.
There are also certain pesticides which can be limited or completely eliminated in order to help put a stop to the decline of bees. Legislator Patrick Burke spoke about the recent legislation he proposed to the Erie County Legislature called the Honey Bee Protection Act in order to prohibit the use of certain insecticides which have been linked to the decline of honeybees.
After the group discussion, guests had the chance to ask more questions at the tables which were set up with various local environmentally conscious groups. To name a few, there was the Eastern Monarch Butterfly Farm, The Botanical Gardens, Masterson’s Garden Center, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, 810 Meadworks, and Cards by Meredith which included photography of wildlife and flowers.
Event attendee Lance Sabo said he enjoyed the event and liked that there was so much representation by the local government officials and environmentalist groups. “I did not realize that there was such a large group of beekeepers in the area, it’s nice to see that there’s interest in grassroots projects that most people don’t really think about on a day-to-day basis but that are happening in Buffalo,” Sabo said.
Event organizer, Jessica Marinelli said more than 100 people attended the event and that she hopes everyone was able to learn something new about what they can do to help save the bees. “We had such a great reaction from the community and were overwhelmed with responses from people who were interested in this topic. We were so glad that The Terrace Restaurant graciously agreed to host this event and are especially grateful to our panelists for giving their time and knowledge. From the response we received, I believe there is a real desire for Buffalo Rising to host more of these discussions. We are already talking about what topic we can cover next! Any suggestions?!”
If you weren’t able to make it on Monday, go to Buffalo Rising’s Facebook page to view the LIVE video of the panel discussion.
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