How to Really Save the Bees with Nancy Lawson

One in four bee species in North America is now at risk of extinction. Historically under-studied and under-appreciated, our nearly 4,000 native bee species live decidedly different lifestyles than that of the honeybee, a captive-bred animal originally introduced from Europe. Most native bees are solitary, nesting underground or in holes in wood and twigs. Some are specialists, gathering pollen only from certain native plants to provision their nests. Many are so small they’re often mistaken for flies or gnats. All are worthy of our attention and concern. Learn how to create and nurture a habitat that provides food and shelter for bees throughout their lifecycles.

Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife. A columnist for All Animals magazine, Lawson founded Humane Gardener, an outreach initiative dedicated to cultivating compassion for all creatures, great and small, through animal-friendly landscaping methods. After an early career in newspaper journalism, she led the creative teams behind the award-winning print and digital magazines of The Humane Society of the United States.