How to participate

Plant your own BEE-SAFE sanctuary, get it certified and pinned in a national sanctuaries map.
Any size planting area will be certified as long as few requirements are met:

Follow these 6 steps:

Register With NY Bee Sanctuary below. Choose your participation status: PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Plant Your Own Bee Sanctuary and/or certify your grounds or lawn as BEE-SAFE; follow the criteria required.
Submit Your Annual Survey Photos
Post to Your Social Media Accounts & Use the #Hashtags #BEESAFECERTIFIED #NYBEESANCTUARYCERTIFIED
Receive resources and materials to support your sanctuary and your stamp of certification. Your sanctuary will be include in the map.
Watch your Sanctuary grow. WATER OFTEN!

Public Environments

REQUIRED CRITERIA

+ Use of flowers and flowering plants beneficial to pollinators over a substantial portion of your garden or grounds.
+ No pesticide, herbicide (such as Roundup), or fungicide treatments. Make sure flowers and plants are not pre-treated with pesticides or other chemicals. Practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management.
+ Use of native plants over a substantial portion of your sanctuary.
+ No synthetic fertilizers.
+ No genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

ENCOURAGED CRITERIA

+ Make your entire grounds or lawn safe for honey bees and other insects and organisms.

+ Book a student planting or workshop day
+ Book a class on honey bees and pollinators
+ Organize a parents visiting day
+ Honey bee hives
+ Bumblebee houses; Solitary bee houses.
+ Recommended minimum size of 100 square feet (But if all you have is a small garden go for it!)
+ Monthly photo of pollinators and flowers posted to NYBS social media (during active seasons).
+ Keep a class garden journal to record plant, animal, and insect activity.
+ Natural composting.

OPTIONAL CRITERIA

+ Milkweed planting / monarch butterfly station.
+ Honey Bee hives.
+ Permaculture design.
+ Herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
+ Compost station.
+ Native birdhouses. Natural lawn / prairie.
+ Water station for pollinator
+ Purchase a HUI to monitor your sanctuary