There's been plenty of talk about the decline of the honeybee population. On the positive side, though, Environment America reports that researchers are discovering new species of bees across the United States.
These bees have been found far and wide, from Arizona and California to Oregon, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Some of these bees are luminescent, while others are known species migrating to places they've never been seen before.
While this doesn't undo the negative effects of an overall declining bee population, it did surprise researchers and give them hope. Bees are finding creative ways to survive and adapting in ways that would once have been thought unlikely, if not impossible. Environment America called these discoveries "a bright spot for bees."
It's a bright spot for humanity, too. The U.S. Forest Service explains that bees help plants have fruit that is more flavorful. They help them grow more fruit, too, so they can continue to feed hungry people around the world. In fact, the Center for Food Safety says that up to 70% of plants around the world would die out if it weren't for pollinators.
If those plants died, we would all suffer. There wouldn't be enough food to go around, and people would starve. That's not to mention the fact the pollinator population itself would dwindle or even disappear.
Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to help bees — old species and new — thrive. You might try a creative solution, like advocating for beehives on the roofs of buildings in your area. You could also learn how to grow your own food, not just so you have enough if the worst happens, but because pollinators can feed off the blossoms, and this helps their populations stay stable and active.
The bees can be a "beacon of hope" for you, as they were for the writers at Environment America. Let these new populations inspire you to protect pollinators everywhere.
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