At EBH, we’ve been buzzing about honey bees since we were founded, so we’re excited to be celebrating World Bee Day. Established by the United Nations in 2017, World Bee Day was launched to raise awareness about the importance of bee pollination for our food supply and to bring attention to their dwindling populations. The date, May 20th, was selected to commemorate the birthdate of Anton Janša, a beekeeping pioneer born in Slovenia in 1734 who laid the foundation for modern apiculture.
Why Bees Matter
These tiny pollinators are integral to the health and vibrancy of our communities and significantly impact our daily lives by supporting biodiversity, enhancing local ecosystems, and securing the food we depend upon. Their role goes far beyond honey production; bees and other pollinators are essential for ensuring the genetic diversity of plants which helps improve their resistance to diseases, pests, and climate change. Healthier, more resilient crops also means less pesticide use, increased yield, higher nutritional value, and minimized costs for producers and consumers alike.
Overall, bees pollinate nearly 75% of crops critical to human nutrition worldwide, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, oilseed, root and fibre crops, medicines, biofuels, fibres, and even construction materials like timber. They are directly responsible for approximately one-third of the food we consume every day and support the production of 87 of the 115 leading crops. They also enhance biodiversity and soil fertility; support pest control and air and water regulation; and serve as important indicators of environmental and ecosystem health.
The Threats Facing our Bee Populations
Despite how critical bees are for our food supply, they face severe threats including habitat loss, climate change, unsustainable agriculture practices, pesticides, and diseases which have had a devastating effect on the global population. Studies indicate a worrying decline, with nearly 40% of insect pollinators at risk of extinction.
The top three drivers of pollinator decline in nearly all parts of the world have been identified as: habitat destruction, intensive agricultural land management and pesticides (including direct overspraying, ingestion of contaminated pollen or nector, or contact with residues).
Local Impact in Canada the Atlantic Provinces
In Canada, bees pollinate crops valued at over $2 billion annually; including apples, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, canola, soybeans, cucumbers, and more. In 2021, over 13,000 beekeepers were reported in Canada with over 810,000 colonies collectively. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick made up 3.4% and 1.1% respectively of Canada’s colonies with just over 1300 beekeepers between the two provinces.
Despite a nearly 24% increase in beekeepers across Canada between 2017-2021, there was only a 2.5% increase in colonies during that 5-year period. Factors like chemical usage in agriculture and climate change affect both natural and managed colonies making it difficult to support and maintain the required populations.
Initiatives like ‘Pollinator Friendly Communities’ in Atlantic Canada have aimed to reverse these trends through habitat restoration, advocating for reduced pesticide use, and providing education and guidance on creating pollinator-friendly spaces, whether it be at home, at your business, or at community establishments like schools and recreation centers, however much more work is required to help restore and protect our precious bee and pollinator populations.
Protecting our Pollinators
Although this is a widespread global challenge, there are lots of actions we can take as individuals and small businesses to help support our honey bees and protect our food supply.
Simple, consistent actions go a long way. For example:
- planting native flowers in your yard or garden, or placing planters of flowering plants on your deck,
- leaving a bee fountain (a small bowl of water) near flowers and plants,
- avoiding the use of pesticides on your property,
- creating pollinator friendly spaces with native wild flowers where possible,
- learning about the importance of pollinators and sharing that knowledge in thoughtful and unique ways (think gifting local honey with a packed of seeds, and few simple interesting facts or resources),
- advocating for sustainable building, land development, and forest management in your region,
- supporting local farmers, beekeepers, and sustainable producers,
- protecting wild bees and hives when you encounter them,
- sponsoring a hive,
- seeking out and implementing strategies and advice from sustainability experts for new projects and initiatives, especially knowledge from indigenous and other local experts for best practices on protecting and nurturing our local ecosystems.
Our Commitment
At Engineering by Houghton, we’re committed to designing innovative, constructible engineering solutions that have a positive impact on our community. This doesn’t just mean designing robust infrastructure, it means designing robust solutions that take into consideration the existing conditions, the impact on the environment and surrounding ecosystem, future growth plans, and climate change projections to help create more resilient and sustainable infrastruture that set our community up for long-term success.
So today, on World Bee Day, let’s celebrate bees and pollinators, pledging to integrate sustainability and biodiversity into our professional and personal practices because, together, we can engineer a brighter, more resilient future for the communities in which we live, work, and play.