The city of Oslo, Norway has started an initiative to save the bees! The city’s Garden Society has set up flower pots on balconies and roofs with flowers that attract bees and give them food as they pass through the urban area.

They’re calling it a “bee highway” and it sounds awesome. It might seem a little odd to want to attract bees to your balcony, but bumblebees are actually more helpful than harmful, which is why so many nations are worried about their declining population. Bees are responsible for pollinating much of the greenery that is necessary for human sustainability. So when a third of Norway’s bee species are endangered, there is strong motivation behind an idea like this.

But we’re not just talking about a few new flower pots here and there, this is some serious planting going on. There’s a “Pollinator” website that has been set up to let Oslo residents know where more shrubbery is needed. Apparently businesses have gotten involved too, with one accounting firm planting up to $50,000 of flowers on its terraces and beehives that can house up to 45,000 bees.

So it sounds like this project is not only the bee's knees, it’s also a pollinating masterpiece. This is the type of innovative idea that the world needs more of if you ask me. It’s a simple idea that everyone can take part in, and it is going to keep a lot more bumblebees alive. Which isn’t just good for the bees, it's good for the humans too.

Editorial

Defend the Planet

Highway of honey: keeping the bees alive

By Alex Vinci