13th Street Flyway Bee House Building Contest
Compete to have your bee house posted along the 13th Street Pollinator Flyway!
The Problem
Wild bees make up 95% of Nebraska’s bee population. They include sweat, mason, cutter, plasterer, leafcutter, wool carder, digger, carpenter bees and many more. They’re docile, and unlike honeybees, are solitary nesters. They play an important role in pollination. Like all pollinators, though, they are being negatively impacted by loss of habitat, pesticides and climate change.
How YOU Can Help
In 2019, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, the Downtown Lincoln Association and great community partners established the 13th Street Pollinator Flyway. Now, we want your help providing nesting habitat for wild bees along the route. Show your concern by building a native bee nesting space.
Contest Details
• Open to all ages!
• Create your own, team up with a partner(s), submit as a family, class or business.
• Houses must be beneficial to wild bees (based on contest structural guidelines) receive bonus points.
• Maximum size 18”x18”. Include 2–3” brackets to top and bottom for installation. Artistic design is important and the sky is the limit.
• Enter contest as many times as you like. $25 per submission.
• 1st , 2nd and 3rd place winners and one honorable mentions will be installed on the flyway.
• Bee houses installed Spring/Summer 2020.
Dates to Know
• Contest start December 1, 2019
• Submission deadline April 1, 2020
• Online judging April 2 – April 25, 2020
• See submissions at Lincoln Earth Day, April 25th and place final votes. Winners announced.
• Bee houses installed on Flyway Pollinator Week, June 22 – 28, 2020
Judging
• Houses are judged on structure and artistic design (See guidelines)
• Adhere to structural guidelines and receive bonus points!
• Judging takes place online and at special events. Vote for your favorites!
• Votes from established bee experts receive extra weight.
For more information or to pay submission fee, go to www.nebraskawildlifefederation.org or contact Carolyn@nebraskawildife.org