TAHLEQUAH â The Cherokee Nation received two native bee houses from The Bee Conservancy organization in April through the organizationâs Sponsor-A-Hive program.Â
The houses were installed April 21 and will be among 16 other bee pollinator homes in the tribeâs heirloom garden, which were installed in 2020 as part of an initiative by first lady January Hoskin to boost pollinator populations.Â
According to a CN press release, pollinators are crucial to the survival of Earthâs ecosystems, with nearly 80% of the crops grown around the world requiring pollination by animals or insects. According to The Bee Conservancy, 1 in 4 species are at risk of extinction, with more than half of North Americaâs native bee species being in decline. With the expansion of industrial agriculture and human development, habitat loss is the primary threat to pollinators, states the release.Â