Hill Talk: An Ice Cream Social for the Benefit of Bees
A coalition of advocacy groups is hoping a new flavor of ice cream will help create a buzz about issues facing the nations population of bees and other pollinators.
The Pollinator Partnership will dish up Häagen-Dazs new Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream at a briefing and ice cream social in the House Agriculture Committee hearing room (1300 Longworth House Office Building) today. The 3 p.m. event is part of National Pollinator Week.
The week, aimed at spreading awareness about the importance of pollinators, was established last year with a declaration by the secretary of Agriculture.
Though they help keep flowers in bloom pollinators play a vital role in the reproduction of about 70 percent of flowering plants there is concern that some pollinators dont have a rosy future. According to the Pollinator Partnership, more and more honey bees are dying over the winter months; more than 37 percent of the western honey bee population died this past winter, compared with 31 percent in 2006.