Bee City USA Volunteers Adapt Land In Howard Co.

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Bees are thriving in Howard County thanks to residents who are establishing pollination areas that include not just flower gardens but also trees.

Howard County happens to hold a Bee City USA designation. Residents are working to make the county bee-friendly with not just beautiful flowers, but strong and steady trees, too.

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"Most people don't think that trees can be good for bees or necessary for bees," said Kate Reilly, a Howard County resident. "In fact, I think in most of Columbia, it's the mature trees that are doing all the hard work."

Those towering oaks, maples and native trees provide pollen, nectar, shelter and habitat long before many garden flowers begin blooming. They also cool neighborhoods, reduce stormwater runoff and help communities adapt to a changing climate.

"If people don't plant them," Reilly said, "we won't get the succession that we need."

Howard County's Bee City initiative has become a collaborative effort involving county government, the Columbia Association, volunteers and homeowners who share a passion for restoring native habitats.

Volunteers praise the county's commitment to environmental stewardship.

"I think Howard County has really good resources to help homeowners with watershed issues and native plant issues," said Susan Tucker, a Howard County resident. "We have great parks. Columbia Association also has really nice pathways and parks, and they're very helpful too. We work together on projects. It's great."

That partnership has helped transform parks, neighborhoods and open spaces into thriving habitats for pollinators and wildlife.

Tucker has adapted several acres of land that were once overrun with invasive bamboo to become a habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Today, tree tubes line the property where hundreds of young native trees are establishing the next generation of forest.

"The whole yard is a Bee City yard," she said. "I registered the whole area as a Bee City because I have gardens through the whole area."

To learn how you can help with Howard County's Bee City USA, click here.