Blog Post by Christy Brooks, Sierra Club Illinois Volunteer
Widely recognized on May 20 every year, World Bee Day pays tribute to the significant role that bees and beekeepers play in the survival of the human race. That’s right – did you know that one third of the world’s food production depends on bees? These tiny workers help pollinate nearly three quarters of plants that produce 90% of the world’s food, ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture globally.
Sadly, scientific studies have shown that bees have become increasingly endangered. Of the 400 to 500 species of bees that call Illinois home, the rusty patched bumble bee is one of growing interest and importance. As the first pollinator to be classified as federally endangered, the study and protection of this species will in turn support the protection and survival of other pollinators and native plant species. Among a number of factors, urbanization is to blame for the rusty patched bumble bee’s endangerment.
This year’s World Bee Day comes at a particularly paradoxical time when the fate of Rockford-based Bell Bowl Prairie – where the endangered rusty patched bumble bee was spotted in 2021 – rests in the hands of the Greater Rockford Airport Authority.
Airport Expansion Threatens One of Last Remaining Illinois Prairies
The 8,000-year-old Bell Bowl Prairie is slated for destruction as early as June 1 in an effort to expand the Chicago Rockford Airport’s growing cargo operations. If the expansion plans are carried out, many threatened and endangered species like the rusty patched bumble bee will be destroyed.
To make matters even more troubling, alternative options exist that would not jeopardize Bell Bowl Prairie. The airport could feasibly redesign parts of the expansion, thereby protecting the land and its precious rusty patched bumble bees.
On this World Bee Day, it’s never been more clear that we must take intentional action to protect our fuzzy friends and their shrinking habitats. Illinois’ agricultural systems, food sources, and endangered species depend on it. Write to state legislators, federal representatives, Governor Pritzker, the Mayor of Rockford, and airport officials to ask them to use their power to help save the Prairie through this petition. To learn more about how you can make your voice heard and help save Bell Bowl Prairie, visit www.savebellbowlprairie.org.