Pollinators flit, chirp and buzz. Because of them, we enjoy delectable food and incredible biodiversity. But bees are in trouble. So are other pollinators. In our changed world, the insects and animals that feed us often face starvation. In our modern, fragmented landscape, they fly long miles without finding food.
We can make a difference. Small changes in our backyards and balconies add up, if we only know what to plant and what floral visitors to appreciate. Join us at 2 Million Blossoms, a new quarterly magazine dedicated to protecting our pollinators – both wild and managed, before they disappear.
I’m launching 2 Million Blossoms to inspire, entertain, and inform beekeepers, bee enthusiasts, gardeners and everyone interested in making our planet a more hospitable place for pollinators. Those hardworking creatures provide us with every third bite we eat.
That’s how many flowers honey bees must visit to make a single pound of honey. And while honey bees are not native to the United States, our history has been closely intertwined with these charismatic pollinators since before we had a written language. 2 Million Blossoms also reminds us that we need a flower rich landscape.
To awaken readers to the vast diversity of pollinating insects and animals. To delight, entertain and name those well-adapted creatures buzzing through our world, because the more we know about pollinators, the better we can provide habitat. Our quarterly magazine will offer short and long form articles exploring how bees, birds, butterflies and bats enhance our planet.
As you flip through our pages, you’ll chase bees through the desert to find a rare sources of water, learn how to provide nesting habitat to solitary bees, become a better beekeeper and active steward of the environment, explore mountain ranges and vast prairies, adventure far without ever leaving your home.
We’ve lined up incredible contributors for our inaugural issue:
Getting a new publication off the ground takes a lot of energy and creative minds. All of the funds raised will be used to pay contributors, graphic designers, photographers and help cover our printing and distribution costs. We’re pouring our hearts and our own money into this project, but your contribution goes a long way. We’ve secured a generous donation of $10,000 to print the first issue and are busy lining up advertisers. For this project to be sustainable we’re seeking subscribers. That’s where you come in! Check out our amazing rewards below, which include annual and lifetime subscriptions.
Our early backers can receive our first issue or a one year subscription at a substantial discount. Both will be delivered to your mailbox in January. Want to give some Pollinator Love in time for Christmas? We have special gift subscriptions available; you will receive a pre-stamped post card to give to friends and family for the holidays; they simply drop it in the mailbox with their address and they will start receiving their gift subscription in January. Part of a beekeeping or gardening club? If you get together, we’re offering bulk club subscriptions for 50 or 100 individuals delivered directly to each member — we’ll even throw in a talk by bee scientist and editor Dr. Kirsten S. Traynor.
Why raise awareness for pollinators? I started off as an English major. After winning my first honey bee hive in a raffle, I became fascinated by the complex behavior of social insects and switched careers. I earned my PhD in biology with a focus on pheromones and foraging. But I love good writing and storytelling — and science is the compelling story of how our world works.
I previously edited the quarterly magazine Bee World and the monthly magazine American Bee Journal. I have the career capital and knowledge of what makes engaging content. So why start my own magazine? Because I value scientific accuracy. The important details often get lost in the media hubbub. The growing divide portrayed between beekeepers and native bee enthusiasts alarms me, as it distracts from our many shared goals to improve forage and habitat for all.
If we have a habitat rich in nectar and pollen, plus keep our managed pollinators healthy, our planet can support both. We need them all! Our large scale agriculture depends on the pollinator workhorses – commercial honey bees, bumble bees and mason bees. Yet there are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide. Add in the 17,500 species of butterflies, 160,000 moth species, plus our bats, and other pollinators — all actively maintain our plant biodiversity and function as important food sources for predators. Everyone fills their niche. The pollinators that help feed us and keep our world colorful need our help. Together, let’s keep the world buzzing!
We have all the articles lined up for our first issue and enough material for our 2nd spring issue too. Our ecologically friendly printer has been chosen, who sources sustainable paper. We’re still in the process of laying out the first issue, but we plan to have that completed before this campaign closes. Our goal is to get the final file to our printer by mid December, so that issues land in our subscriber’s eager hands by early January. If we run into unforeseen delays, we promise to keep you posted, but we’re on track to make this happen. We’re excited to bring you 2 Million Blossoms in January 2020!
For the rewards that include Simple, Smart Beekeeping, we are revising the book. Edits have been completed and we expect to have the new book ready to ship by March 2020.