May 20th is World Bee Day

Happy World Bee Day!  I first mentioned the holiday in Happy World Honey Bee Day 2018!

There is also a World Bee Day recognized by the United Nations on May 20th.  That happens to be the anniversary of my marriage to my ex-wife, a day that I have used to reflect on my mistakes.  I'd much rather consider the importance of bees.

To that end, here is the United Nations celebrates First Ever World Bee Day (20 May).

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollinators allow many plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity - a cornerstone of the Sustainable Development Goals. They also serve as sentinels for emergent environmental risks, signaling the health of local ecosystems.

Invasive insects, pesticides, land-use change and monocropping practices may reduce available nutrients and pose threats to bee colonies.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

That was last year's announcement.  Here is the FAO Director-General's message on World Bee Day 2019 from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for this year.

World Bee Day is celebrated on 20 May each year to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators for food and agriculture.

The FAO Director-General was informative, but not very lively or practical.  For those two qualities, I conclude with KUSI in San Diego's Saving the bees for World Bee Day.


That was definitely more fun than this year's official video from the FAO, just as considering the importance of bees is more fun than reflecting on my mistakes.  I'll find another day for that, I'm sure.

While this is the first time I've officially celebrated World Bee Day on this blog, I managed to do so unofficially four years ago.

In an interesting coincidence, I posted President Obama's plan to save the bees on May 20, 2015.  The holiday wasn't declared until 2017, so I accidentally predicted it.  Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than to be good.

Happy World Bee Day!