By Christian Warren Freed
It is said that the smallest pebble can start an avalanche. While we may not be climbing Mount Everest or hiking through dangerous switchbacks, we are standing on the precipice of something great. Right here in our own backyard. It begins with the unlikeliest pairing of culprits. Bees and tenacious children.
Few things in this world are as precious, or contagious, as the raw enthusiasm children bring to the table. Bright eyes filled with great ideas that will change the world, each new generation begins with the unfulfilled promise of greatness. While many outgrow their early ideas, some have the determination to see it through.
Take the third-grade students of the Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, or “World Changers” as they are known to their Global Education teacher Ms. Katie Thompson. For the last few years, Ms. Thompson has been steering their interest to help preserve one of the most important species in the entire world through awareness and a promise. If you thought handling your children at that age was challenging enough, wait until you hear what the future of Holly Springs has been doing.
Bees have long been recognized for their importance in nature. Pollination is a critical aspect in the continuation of countless species, from plants to animals. But this natural sustainment is in jeopardy. It is estimated that 35% of the world’s crops are pollinated. With the number of pollinators steadily decreasing, it has become imperative that farmers work with local and federal politicians to ensure a reversal in this trend.
It’s not just bees. Did you know pollinators include a wide variety of creatures? I didn’t. Every time you see a moth or butterfly, hummingbirds or bats, you are seeing one tiny fragment of the wonder of mother nature and an example of how all creatures, great and small, are interconnected.
For Katie Thompson, the importance of bees has been ingrained for many years. She comes from a family of beekeepers and has become a subject matter expert with a passion for the future—ours and theirs.
For the third graders of Pine Springs, it became more than learning about insects in 2018. That’s when they first took an active interest in the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge (MMP). Created and sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, this pledge is an international program aimed at helping create and protect habitats for the monarch butterfly. Ranging from the wilds of Canada down to the rugged Mexican countryside, cities, towns, and municipalities have joined forces since 2015.
The idea is simple. Each mayor selects three major actions from a list of 30 that he or she will adhere to in a massive effort to protect one of the most important factions of life on the planet. Ms. Thompson’s class of 2018 took pride in crafting their letters to our then-mayor, the late Dick Sears. Not only was he happy to comply, he became the first mayor in Wake County and one of the first in the entire state to do so.
Fueled by their success, Ms. Thompson continued her program with each new batch of third graders. Over the following years, they reached out to numerous mayors across Wake County. One by one, the other towns followed the example Holly Springs set. But throughout 2022, the class noticed seven towns had yet to pitch in. Yes, I’m pointing at you Fuquay…
Determined to leave their mark on this established and successful program, these World Changers took to the letter-writing campaign with fresh crayons, new ideas, and unbridled enthusiasm. And it worked. The last seven towns in the county all signed the MMP. Not wanting to stop the momentum this year, they extended their reach, going deep into neighboring counties for their support.
Thank you, Lillington, Angier, and even far-away Mebane. Today, Wake County is one of the most monarch-friendly counties in the entire United States. Not bad for one class with passion and energy. As successful as this program has been, there is always more to be done. Politicians and city boards come and go, ensuring Ms. Thompson’s new classes will always have something to do. Working in part with the National Wildlife Federation, the kids of Pine Springs are taking further steps to help. This year they reached out to our new mayor, Sean Mayfeskie, and he enthusiastically signed the town to a new pledge, thus continuing the tradition and ensuring we do our part for the future.
Along with the MMP, a series of initiatives have been implemented to ensnare people from all walks of life and interests. Pizza Without Pollinators? We’ve got you covered. Bee Smarter Plant Harder? All gardeners welcome here! And perhaps the most important, and universally recognized threat, not only to bees but to us as well—the No Pesticide Pledge.
We’ve all seen the commercials where ambulance chasers offer their assistance, for a nominal fee, for those affected by those harmful chemicals too often used for lawn care and pest control. If this stuff is so bad for us, what do you suppose it does to the rest of the world? Knowing there are right and wrong ways to go about doing something, all it takes from us is a little pause, that extra breath to think, before acting.
Call me crazy, but a career in the army left me more comfortable outside than cloistered behind windows and walls. These upstanding children feel the same way. They are an inspiration for the town and positive role models for us all, making this new front to their efforts all the more serious.
The No Pesticide Pledge is easily the most important aspect of this entire program. One capable of shifting the balance for good if enough people sign on. Whether you care about bees or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is an entire new generation is being raised to respect the world they are part of. Thanks to the efforts of Ms. Thompson and the mayors of every town and city in North America, the survival of pollinators is in good hands.
There is no doubt that these critical species need our help. We are all symbiotic by nature. What happens to one of us happens to us all. Speaking as one who enjoys the majesty of butterflies and moths, the buzz of hummingbirds flitting about my backyard from feeder to feeder, or seeing the bumblebees casually strolling to the garden, I take heart from these outstanding children. If they can do it, what excuse do the rest of us have not to join in?
If you would like to learn more about the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, visit: www.NFW.org.
To learn more about these amazing kids and their outreach programs, go to: tinyurl.com/pollinatorprotectors (a very special thanks to Ms. Jodi Rubin for creating this website).
If that’s still not enough and you just can’t avoid that itch to do more, check out www.southwakeconservationists.org. They are always looking for new members and volunteers.
