This week I was delighted to be able to work with the wonderful staff at the Broadmoor Galleries in Colorado Springs, CO. On the left, Carol explains the symbolism of the small, beloved Aries Maple vessel explaining the symbolism of the nine maple keys (seed pods) within the root system – the zodiac sun sign of Aries holds the attribute of always wanting to be or go “first” – this same attribute is  true to the maple species – always they bud out when most others remain in winter slumber. The 193 edition size was chosen to represent the “1” of wanting/a willingness to go or be first (to speak or do), coupled with the nine seed pods and 3 trees = 193. On the right, Carol shares a few moments during the wet morning hours with gallery manager, Krista.

It was a lovely day devoted to working closely with the staff, gaining more understanding of how we might better support them, and helping them grow more familiar and comfortable with me and the entire body of work. What a lovely, deep joy to be in partnership with this talented staff. Visit the gallery – it’s a unique treasure chest of amazingly beautiful works!

Close -up view of honeybee on Nature’s Bounty

“Announcing New Steps to Promote Pollinator Health

Posted by John P. Holdren on May 19, 2015
Pollinators are critical to the Nation’s economy, food security, and environmental health. Honey bee pollination alone adds more than $15 billion in value to agricultural crops each year, and helps ensure that our diets include ample fruits, nuts, and vegetables. This tremendously valuable service is provided to society by honey bees, native bees and other insect pollinators, birds, and bats.

But pollinators are struggling. Last year, beekeepers reported losing about 40% of honey bee colonies, threatening the viability of their livelihoods and the essential pollination services their bees provide to agriculture. Monarch butterflies, too, are in jeopardy. The number of overwintering Monarchs in Mexico’s forests has declined by 90% or more over the past two decades, placing the iconic annual North American Monarch migration at risk.

That’s why last June, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum directing an interagency Task Force to create a Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. Today, under the leadership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Task Force is releasing its Strategy, with three overarching goals:

Reduce honey bee colony losses to economically sustainable levels;
Increase monarch butterfly numbers to protect the annual migration; and
Restore or enhance millions of acres of land for pollinators through combined public and private action.
The Strategy released today and its accompanying science-based Pollinator Research Action Plan outline needs and priority actions to better understand pollinator losses and improve pollinator health. These actions will be supported by coordination of existing Federal research efforts and accompanied by a request to Congress for additional resources to respond to the pollinator losses that are being experienced.

Increasing the quantity and quality of habitat for pollinators is a major part of this effort—with actions ranging from the construction of pollinator gardens at Federal buildings to the restoration of millions of acres of Federally managed lands and similar actions on private lands. To support these habitat-focused efforts, USDA and the Department of Interior are today issuing a set of Pollinator-Friendly Best Management Practices for Federal Lands, providing practical guidance for planners and managers with land stewardship responsibilities.

The President has emphasized the need for an “all hands on deck” approach to promoting pollinator health, including engagement of citizens and communities and the forging of public-private partnerships. To foster collaboration, the interagency Pollinator Health Task Force will work toward developing a Partnership Action Plan that guides coordination with the many state, local, industry, and citizen groups with interests in and capacities to help tackle the challenge facing pollinators.

People of all ages and communities across the country can play a role in responding to the President’s call to action. YOU can share some land with pollinators—bees, butterflies, other insects, birds, bats—by planting a pollinator garden or setting aside some natural habitat. YOU can think carefully before applying any pesticides and always follow the label instructions. YOU can find out more about the pollinator species that live near you.

Today’s announcement marks an important step toward promoting the health of pollinators that are critically important to our economy, environment, and health.” – The Pollinator Partnership 2015

During these warm summer months, may we all remain conscious of our actions in the garden as we continue to protect and support our beloved pollinators!