In a time when the number of bees are on the decline, organizations are taking action to build habitats to foster the growth of bee populations.
Lance Ruppert is the director of Growmark, an agronomy company based in Bloomington.
Ruppert says the company is working in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin to create bee habitats. He tells Galesburg’s Midday on WGIL the Endure program encourages companies and people to plant.
“Basically we gave ten pounds of wild flower or pollinator mix to all our member companies,” Ruppert says. “West Central FS would have been one of those in this area and they participated to a great degree. I believe they have seven planted and four more they were trying to get in, so potentially 11 different bee habitats in this area which is just fantastic.”
Through Growmark partner companies, Ruppert says he hopes to have hundreds of pollinator habitats in the area this summer. The Endure programs kicked off in December.
Ruppert says Growmark also has a program that puts a pound of wildflower mix in the hands of the company’s employees.