April 18 from 10 to 3: make a seed bomb and help create pollinator habitat at Whole Foods on NE 15th and Fremont...

Our local Whole Foods has selected the Sabin Bee-Friendly Garden Project to receive bag credit funds, starting April 18 and ending July 12. Here's how it works: When you shop at Whole Foods and bring your own shopping bags, Whole Foods at NE 15th and Fremont will donate five cents per bag to a community organization – either the Sabin garden project or Xerces – you decide which one.

The Sabin garden project hopes to raise about $500 through this campaign, and reaching that goal depends on shoppers remembering to make the request. Please remind cashiers to donate the bag credit before they complete the transaction.


For more information about the project, see our Bee-Friendly Gardens page.

It's great to hear about other communities that are promoting bee-friendly gardening. North-central Colorado, which includes Denver and Boulder, have started a project very similar to the Sabin Bee-Friendly Garden Project. The folks in Colorado are working on a project to "create living spaces where honey bees and other pollinators can propagate without the effects of toxic chemicals."  The Bee-Safe Neighborhoods project aims to "increase safe habitats for honey bees by landscaping with safe plants (uncontaminated by neonicotinoids or systemics) that can provide pollen and nectar to pollinators through spring, summer and fall."

To participate in Sabin's bee-friendly garden project, contact Diane Benson at dcb1810@yahoo.com. Learn more about the project here.

Here are some simple things you can do to attract and protect pollinators, including native bees, in your garden, courtesy of KATU and Metro's Carl Grimm...

Read all about it here!

The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District is offering free classes on naturescaping, rain gardens and native plants. Come and learn gardening practices that reduce pollution and conserve water while saving you time, money and energy. Perfect for all levels of do-it-yourselfers, these workshops offer simple gardening tips & resources that will help you bring your vision to life. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information, call 503-222-7645.

View the full schedule here.

SCA is calling a Special Board Meeting to discuss the Sabin School field renovation project and vote on whether or not SCA will write a letter of support for a $20,000 grant request the field committee has made to the Nike Employee Grant Fund.

The SCA Board did not have enough information or enough time on January's board meeting agenda to discuss and vote on a letter of support for the project. With the final project work plan forthcoming early next week, we ask board members and community members alike to review the plan and join the discussion.
 
It seems simple - the field is rutted and muddy and needs fixing. It gets complicated because "tickle bees" live under ground in Sabin's field and Sabin LOVES bees, especially tickle bees for so many ecological and warm-and-fuzzy reasons.  The rub comes in not knowing how the renovation will impact the bees and designing a project work plan that is effective at incrementally evaluating and responding to impacts. If you are interested or passionate about this, please come join the conversation!

SCA Special Board Meeting
Wednesday, January 22
8:00-9:00 PM
3739 NE 16th Ave

If you're not familiar with Chipotle, they commit to using only ingredients that are raised with respect for the animals, the farmers and the environment. Read more about their commitment to "food with integrity" here.

PUB board members will be there to greet people, so be sure to say hello and thank them for supporting the Sabin Bee-Friendly Garden Project.

from the Oregonian

"The Oregon Department of Agriculture has placed restrictions on two types of pesticides implicated in mass bee die-offs in Wilsonville and Hillsboro this summer. Pesticides containing dinotefuran and imidacloprid can no longer be applied to linden trees, basswood and other trees of the Tilia genus."

Not everyone is happy about the new restrictions. Scott Dahlman, a lobbyist for the pesticide industry, said that pesticides "pose no harm to the environment" as long as they are properly applied.

What can you do to help save bees? Plant bee-friendly flowers and avoid using pesticides. Also, buy organic food. Read more here.