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<p>Even though I woke up being stung by a bumble bee on my cheek last week, I'm in favour of Susan beeing on the committee. (It's one of the perks of drying laundry on a device called a clothes line. Another perk was finding walnuts stashed in the laundry
basket that I left for a couple of hours on the porch.)</p>
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<p>- Greg</p>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> Executive <executive-bounces@gren.ca> on behalf of Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason@mac.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 11, 2017 12:55 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Susan<br>
<b>Cc:</b> GREN Executive<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [GREN-Exec] FW: Invitation</font>
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<div>Susan,</div>
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<div id="AppleMailSignature">Sounds great to me. Keep moving forward - these are good organizations and causes.<br>
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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">Cheers,</span></div>
<div>Kevin.</div>
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<div>Kevin Thomason</div>
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<div>Phone: (519) 888-0519</div>
<div>Mobile Phone: (519) 240-1648</div>
<div>E-mail: <a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com">kevinthomason@mac.com</a></div>
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On Oct 11, 2017, at 12:34 PM, Susan <<a href="mailto:susankoswan@execulink.com">susankoswan@execulink.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Hi GREN Exec,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">I’ve been contacted by Kimberley Fellows from Seeds of Diversity to join the Bee City Committee. (details below) As you can see below, the City of Kitchener
is being approached to become a Bee City at the Dec. 11 meeting. Kim just wants to know if she can list my affiliation as GREN for this committee and, I suppose, to show that GREN supports this initiative.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Awaiting your blessing....</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Susan K
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> Kimberley Fellows [<a href="mailto:kimberley.fellows@gmail.com">mailto:kimberley.fellows@gmail.com</a>]
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<b>Sent:</b> 3 October 2017 08:46<br>
<b>To:</b> Susan Koswan<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Invitation</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Dear Susan,</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">I know Jennifer has excitedly told you much of this, but here is your official invite! </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Much to my delight, efforts to have the City of Kitchener join a growing number of Bee City Canada affiliates may be realized on December 11th, pending council's approval.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">The Bee City program started in the U.S. in 2012, originally in response to population declines that the honey bee industry has suffered since 2006. The main focus of the program is dedicated
to creating sustainable habitats for pollinators.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Since Bee City began, founder Phyllis Stiles, other bee advocates and conservation scientists have come to understand three fundamental basics:</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">1) <b>There are MANY more kinds of bees than honey bees, in the world.</b> Canada hosts over 850 species of bees out of 20,000 worldwide species.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">2) <b>There are more pollinators than just bees.</b> Other pollinators include butterflies and moths, flies, wasps, beetles, birds and bats (but there are no pollinating bats in Canada). However,
in North America, bees perform 70% of the pollination. Hence the moniker "Bee City" -- besides the fact that "Pollinator City" is a mouthful!</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">3) <b>While honey bees are important, they are not an endangered species.</b> Please understand that being a Bee City is not synonymous with increasing the number of hives in our city. Although
people with the best of intentions are taking up hobby beekeeping, it isn't the best way to "save the bees", especially in urban settings. On the other hand, a quarter to a third of our native bumble bees are on the decline, with one endangered designation
in Canada (the rusty-patched bumble bee).</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Having championed for pollinators through my work with Pollination Canada over the last six years, I am in full agreement with these fundamentals.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">What is the best thing to do to "save the bees?" Plant native species for them, such that there are blooms providing food for them throughout the growing season. Share our space with them
for nesting habitat, and protect them from pesticides. That will be the focus of Bee City Kitchener. The more native plant diversity, the more native pollinator diversity.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">If the idea of positively influencing the ecology of Kitchener appeals to you, please consider joining the Bee City committee. Your commitment can vary from a physical appearance at (monthly)
meetings or simply sitting in an advisory role to offer your knowledge, support, and expertise.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Until council approves it in December, I would really appreciate your discretion about this matter. We will celebrate when it becomes reality!</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Best regards,</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Kim Fellows</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">"<i>Bee City fosters ongoing dialogue in urban areas to raise awareness of the role pollinators play in our communities and what each of us can do to provide them with healthy habitat.</i>”
Bee City USA founder Phyllis Stiles</span></p>
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