July 15, 2022
Don’t step on a Bee! Sounds like sane advice, but did you know it’s also a day of recognizing the incredible impact that bees play on our ecosystem? There are roughly 4,000 bee species in North America and about 20,000 around the globe that pollinate everything from flowers to vegetables. In fact, bees pollinate approximately one in every three bites of food you eat, which makes them essential to the health and prosperity of countless ecosystems worldwide. Crops such as apples, cranberries, and broccoli all rely on bees. Fruits like blueberries and cherries are 90% dependent on honeybee pollination, as are almonds. To pollinate the roughly 1.2 million acres of almond trees, the California almond industry needs about 1.8 million bees.
However, one in four species of bees are facing extinction. From fungus to pesticides, bees are facing rapidly declining numbers. In the US, the honeybee population has declined 60% since 1947.
This year, Vitalia Active Adult Community – Solon is celebrating “Don’t Step On A Bee Day” by utilizing locally sourced honey and honeycomb from Steins in our honeycomb peppered beets on July 10th.
As a chef who has been cooking for over 17 years, I have used a plethora of different fruits and vegetables daily. It is important to understand how we get the products and the sources that make them grow. It is crucial, in my field of work, that we continue to recognize things that aren’t always in plain view. Without bees that pollinate the fruits and vegetables we cook almost every meal, we would not only be without a job, but also without the vital nutrients that make our bodies grow. As a child, I was always running from bees. Who knew that some 23 years later I would need them for a successful career?
By recognizing this holiday, we hope to bring awareness to this global issue and try to start a conversation about what we can all do to help reverse this trend and help build the bee population back to its pre-WWII levels. And while you’re at it, don’t step on a bee. We need them here.
VITALIA® Solon in Solon, OH offers senior apartments, assisted living, and memory care with a variety of services and a range of floor plan options. Amenities include The Lake Effect Restaurant, a 24-hour bistro, concierge service, housekeeping, events and entertainment, personal care, transportation services, and more. Conveniently located just southwest of Hwy 77 and 480 just moments from Ahuja medical with convenient access to major shopping centers and attractions, including Signature of Solon, Uptown Solon, Cleveland Metro Parks, Rollhouse Solon, and Chagrin Falls Shopping District.