New grants can make our roadsides bee-friendly

Our bees are in trouble, and one reason is the loss of habitat. The more we plow, pave and spray insecticides, the fewer safe places there are for bees.

One great place to create more habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators is along our roadsides. There are more than 10 million acres of land along state and federal highways that could easily be made bee-friendly by adding native plants and reducing mowing. That’s the point of the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Program, which was enacted via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.

States can now apply for Monarch and Pollinator Highway Program grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Applications are due by June 18th, 2024. Together, we can save the bees.