Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) and residents of Indianapolis are busy as bees this week as KIB invites all residents to partake in Wild Pollinator Count Week, which launched on July 18 and concludes on July 24.

This inaugural, week-long event is engaging the city in the important work of gathering data to help guide conservation and restoration efforts, tree plantings, and raise awareness of how vital pollinators are to the Indianapolis food system.

Among the many events that are taking place during KIB’s Pollinator Count Week include:

  • Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett kicked off Pollinator Count Week on July 18 by signing the Monarch Pledge and pollinator proclamation in front of the LEGO Monarch Butterfly at the Indianapolis Zoo.
  • The program social media hashtag — #KIBees — was featured in lights on IPL building from July 18 through July 20 as a reminder that pollinators continue their work at night.
  • Kate Franzman, of Bee Public, led a short talk about the impact of honey bees and other pollinators at Public Greens: An Urban Kitchen on July 19. After the presentation, attendees counted pollinators in the Public Greens urban farm and Monon Trail greenspaces.
  • Citizen scientists continued their work by counting pollinators as part of KIB’s Happy Hour Weeding event on July 21 at KIB headquarters.
  • KIB Clubs is hosting a lunchtime, family-friendly pollinator count for kids at Skiles Test Elementary School at the KIB Club’s outdoor classroom on July 22.
  • Even more activities and contests are taking place on social media, including blog posts from KIB Urban Naturalists, daily Instagram drawing for best post under #KIBees, KIB Green Roof video feed and “Best-in-Show” awards for pollinators counted.

Pollinator Count Kits are available to download on KIB’s website (www.kibi.org/kibees) and kits are available at all Indianapolis Public Library branches and YMCA locations.

Continue reading about “Why Indianapolis is Counting its Bees” on CityLab, here and “Indy Enlists Volunteers in Crowdsourced Bee-Search Project” here.