Right here in my backyard…
Sarah Kincaid, from the Oregon Department of Agriculture, is spearheading the Oregon Bee Project, a joint effort between her department and Oregon State University that’s seeking solutions to problems facing pollinators in the state.
Following her presentation, an audience member asked if the bee population was still declining. Kincaid replied that in 2006 there was a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, which killed off a large portion of bees but affected only the honey bee population. “The thing about honey bees, though, is that when we have a decline, we can just produce more,” she said. “However, we still do have a decline with native bees worldwide.” The honey bee is not a native species to Oregon, or even to the United States, as it was imported by the pilgrims for food production, she said.
