What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, May 17, 2019:
Bees are nature’s most prolific, and important, pollinators.
Their intrinsic value to global ecosystems and commercial agriculture cannot be overstated. More than 75 percent of all food crops and nearly 90 percent of wild plants need animal pollinators to some degree.
Bees and other natural pollinators are under threat and are disappearing rapidly. Habitat loss is a primary cause, along with pesticides and global climate change.
Comparison of bees (Photos of bumblebee and honeybee in public domain, photos of wasp and hornet courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the role of honey bees and beekeeping are members of the York County Beekeepers Association, which is celebrating 100 years of bee-advocacy. Many restaurants in downtown York are also participating in Restaurant Honey Week from May 18-May 25. Joining the conversation is David Papke, chairman of the Centennial Celebration Committee and a 40-year beekeeper, Jeremy Barnes, past-president of YCBA, and Gary Anderson, president of York County Beekeeper’s Association.
Jeremy Barnes, David Papke and Gary Anderson
Also, animals are especially vulnerable when disasters strike.
In the late 1990’s, Hurricane Floyd decimated parts of the Southeastern U.S. Millions of animals perished and thousands were separated from their owners.
North Carolina recognized that many animals could have been saved if there was some type of coordinated response. So they developed a plan for future emergencies.
In 2004, Pennsylvania followed suit and launched a State Animal Response Team (PASART) to prepare for natural and other animal-related events.
SART members pulling a horse dummy out of water, as part of the team’s animal-related rescue services training.
Joining Smart Talk to discuss their unique mission are Sarah Speed, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team and Ed Kraus, director of advancement.
Sarah Speed and Ed Kraus
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