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Save Ohio Bees™ helps protect bees, restore habitat, and fund conservation programs. Sustainable, 100% organic, T-shirts and Totes, handmade products and artwork, free guides and video resources, bee blog, special events and more. Save Ohio Bees™ events provide education and nature experiences. Learn about native bees and how to help them thrive while enjoying the natural world. Events may be in-person, virtual or nature explorations. We collaborate with conservation areas, parks and nonprofits to provide a wide array of experiences for all ages and abilities.
WElcome to save ohio bees™
The Challenge
One in four native bee species face the threat of extinction and 40 percent of insect pollinators globally are threatened, including many native bees that are essential for US crop and wildflower pollination. But, 70% of the land in the US is privately owned. We can make a difference.
Our Mission
Our mission is to restore pollinator habitat, fund conservation, and provide educational resources and programming to the community. We can steward the land in healing ways. Our vision is to empower others to restore native flowers and trees where they live, work, and play, and eliminate pesticide use in homes and gardens.
How You Can Help
Explore our FREE GUIDES for native bees, plants, trees, seeds, nurseries, DIY projects, and educational videos from experts, along with information on public programs, access to citizen science apps, and trending news. Our vision is to empower Ohioans to restore diverse native flowering plants and trees where they live, work, and play, and eliminate pesticide use in homes and gardens.
We continue to add more guides and resources.
100% of net donations support our mission.
Your Impact
Primary threats to Native bees
Habitat Loss
About 90% of wild prairies and grasslands have been destroyed since colonization along with 2/3 of all wildlife (Our Planet, 2019). But, the good news is that 70% of the land in the U.S. is privately owned. We can restore native flowers and trees where we live, work, and play.
Pesticide Use
Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides were used in the U.S. in 2022 (Whole Foods, 2023). About 60 million pounds of that were used in homes and gardens (Xerces Society, 2023). We can eliminate pesticide use in homes and gardens.
Climate change
By 2050, most of Ohio could experience an additional 2 to 3 months per year with days above 86 degrees (American Resiliency, 2022). We are already experiencing longer, hotter summers and falls, and shorter winter seasons. We can plant native trees to restore biodiversity, store carbon, cool the atmosphere, remove toxins, and generate more oxygen and healing compounds in the air.
““We have now entered the world’s sixth mass extinction event, the biggest and most rapid global biodiversity crisis since a meteor ended the age of the dinosaurs.
Bumble bees are the best pollinators we have in wild landscapes. If declines continue at this pace, many of these species could vanish forever within a few decades.”
Take the No Pesticide Pledge
In 2022, more than 60 MILLION POUNDS of pesticides were used
in homes and gardens in the U.S. (Whole Foods, 2023). The pesticide industry in the US
Pesticides are a leading threat to native bees. Scientists supported by the US National Science Foundation have found that the decline in wild bee populations is related to pesticide use, and that wild bees have declined 43% in areas of high pesticide use (US National Science Foundation, 2024).
Reducing pesticides may help conserve the essential pollinators that support the food web and complex, interconnected ecosystems.
I pledge to eliminate pesticides in my home and garden.
Educational Events
Did you know that there are nearly 500 species of wild bees in Ohio? And, they all have amazing, unique sizes, shapes, ways of living, and pollination superpowers.
We offer a variety of programs on native bees and other wild pollinators. Options include in-person, virtual, and outdoor events depending upon your location.
Learn about Ohio’s native bees and how to help them flourish while connecting more deeply with the natural world. Contact us to get information on this popular program.
Get a natural, 3-ingredient recipe here to use instead!
FREE Coloring pages
Whether you’re relaxing at home or hosting a nature-themed event, children of all ages will love these bee and butterfly coloring pages that help them appreciate pollinators. Click the button below to download the coloring page of your choice. If you would like to share photos of completed artwork for feature on our website and social channels, contact us and we’ll tell you how.
Some of Our Beneficiary Partners
With the Pollinator Partnership, Save Ohio Bees supports development and enhancement of pollinator habitat on agricultural lands in Ohio, as well as education and training for farmers in habitat stewardship through Bee Friendly Farming. These habitats support native bees and pollinators, the sustainability of farms, and the health and resilience of regional ecosystems. As the largest pollinator nonprofit, the Pollinator Partnership mission is to promote the health of pollinators critical to food sustainability and ecosystems through conservation, education, and research.
“Everyone’s life depends on pollinator health, and everyone can play a role in protecting them. ”
Save Ohio Bees supports educational programming and community conservation programs at the Wilderness Center, including its Backyard Habitat and Dark Skies programs and the speaker series. The Wilderness Center serves more than 14,000 individuals and 110 local schools annually, protects 3,500 acres in seven Ohio counties, and helps sustainably manage 22,000 acres of forest.
Save Ohio Bees helps provide essential funds for wildflower seeds, native trees, invasive species removal, and native bee nesting places at the 63-acre Oberlin Preserve, part of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy (WRLC).
With few prairies in the northwest region, the Preserve provides a haven for pollinators and other wildlife. WRLC is one of the largest land trusts in the nation. Formed in 2006, Its mission is to provide essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration.
Our founder
Tracy Teuscher, MS, APR, OCVN
Our founder, Tracy Teuscher, MS, APR, OCVN is a certified Ecotherapist and Naturalist who holds an MS in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Education and Outreach.
Tracy is a passionate conservation educator who helps inspire and equip others to create more sustainable and resilient communities. In addition to providing programming for Save Ohio Bees, her presentations have been featured by the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Wilderness Center, Chef’s Garden, Stark Parks, Buckeye Valley High School, Washington High School, Ohio Kiwanis, and the international Climate & Justice Teach-in.
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