Get Involved » Keep Tyler Beautiful

Tyler Bee City USA

 BeeCityUSA_Affiliate-Logo_HORZ_CMYK-single

Did you know that the United States is home to more than 3,600 different native bee species. The City of Tyler is proud to be a Bee City USA affiliate. Our town is known as the "Rose Capital", a named earned from decades of rose production. Located in Northeast Texas, Tyler is a big city with a small town feel. A growing metropolis at the heart of historic downtown Tyler is surrounded by beautiful farm land. We currently have a Honey Bee observation hive at the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden that serve as an educational opportunity for visitors to view bees safely. Our goals is to encourage our community to protect pollinators and create more safe habitat for our local bees. This goal will strengthen the ecosystem in Tyler that supports food security and environmental policy for future generations. 

What is Bee City USA?BCC_Flower

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA is a national non-profit working to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators. 

Thinking globally and acting locally, Bee City USA provides a framework for communities to work together to conserve native pollinators by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides.

Bee City USA affiliates make commitments to conserve native pollinators, laid out in a resolution adopted by the local city council. City staff and community members work together to carry out these commitments and make their city a better place for pollinators. Incorporated cities, towns, counties, and communities across the United States are invited to make these commitments and become Bee City USA affiliates. Funding for Bee City USA is provided by the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation. 

As an affiliate of Bee City USA, Keep Tyler Beautiful is committed to:

  • Maintaining a standing Bee Committee to help advocate , educate and plan.
  • Create and enhance pollinator habitat on public and private land by increasing the abundance of native plants and providing nest sites. 
  • Reduce the use of harmful pesticides.
  • Advocate for and incorporate pollinator-conscious practices.
  • Host pollinator awareness events. 
  • Pay annual fees and complete reports to Bee City USA to help track data. 

What's the buzz about bees? 

Native pollinators are particularly important because they evolved alongside native plants and in many cases are the most effective pollinators — and in a few cases, the only pollinators. Pollinators are keystone species in essentially every terrestrial ecosystem on earth, assisting in plant reproduction and supporting other species of wildlife. Pollinators touch our lives in numerous ways each day, including being responsible for approximately one third of the food and drink we consume. The value of crop pollination has been estimated between $18 and $27 billion annually in the U.S.

Research has shown significant declines in native pollinator population sizes and ranges globally. In fact, up to 40% of pollinator species on earth may be at risk of extinction in the coming years as a result of habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. 

How can I get involved?

Join us in our commitment to the conservation of bees and other pollinators. Learn more about pollinator conservation at Bee City USA.org.

  • Get involved in the community by:
  • Planting pollinator-friendly, native landscaping
  • Adding bee watering stations and bee houses at home
  • Skip mowing when able to allow grass to grow a few extra inches allow for more food sources for pollinators. 
  • Use pollinator-friendly pest removal
  • Starting a bee hive
  • Call a hive removal service if a hive needs to be relocated
  • Schools can soon apply to be a Bee City Tyler School Partner.

Programs & Events

  • National Pollinator Week - June 17-23
  • Bee Day in the Garden - Saturday, June 29
  • Tyler Bees Committee - Next Meeting:TBA

Resources

East Texas Beekeepers Association

 CNC Honey Farms Logo

 

 

 

Honey Bee Observation Hive at Goodman-LeGrand Museum

Honey Bee Observation Hive

The City of Tyler was one of six cities in Texas to be a Bee City USA in 2021, under the Keep Tyler Beautiful program. It’s mission as an affiliate is to educate and raise awareness in the community on the importance of all pollinator species, including Honey Bees.

The construction of the Honey Bee Observation Hive began in August of 2020 by Bradley Moore and other volunteers from Boys Scouts of America East Texas Area Council and the East Texas Beekeepers Association (ETBA).

The original Observation Hive box was built by Dick Counts and volunteers from the ETBA and installed at the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden. The Honey Bee hive was donated by CNC Honey Farms.

During the Fall of 2022, Keep Tyler Beautiful with the assistance of Daniel Lennon of Flint Farm & Apiary removed the entire observation hive in order to make needed adjustments to the design.

The bees where returned to the Rose Garden in April 2022, thanks to the help of Daniel Lennon and students from Hawkins High School FFA. 

In the summer of 2024, the observation hive was relocated to a new permanent home at the Goodman-LeGrand Museum & Gardens. 

National Pollinator Week

Pollinator Week is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health that was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership. It is a time to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them. The great thing about Pollinator Week is that you can celebrate and get involved any way you like.

How can I get involved?

  • Check out the Pollinator Partnership website to see what's going on nationwide and get additional resources. 

Pollinator Resources

Kid's Corner