Members of the Lima Rotary Club learned about the benefits of locally produced honey and the importance of honeybees during a presentation by beekeeper Ty Shelby. Shelby highlighted honey’s potential health benefits and the vital role bees play in pollinating hundreds of plants, including most U.S. crops.

With Halloween around the corner, kids got into the spooky spirit by learning about one of the holiday’s most iconic creatures: bats.

Area families had the opportunity to learn about the prairie ecosystem and butterflies with the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District. As part of Johnny Appleseed's "Prairie Fairies" program, families grabbed their butterfly nets and attempted to catch some of the prairie’s butterflies.

“All of our modern yards, we spray Roundup and other weed killers, and what we're doing is taking away that food source from the bees,” Shelby said. “That's why people get in their yard. They say we don't have any bees, but we're not promoting the bees through killing our weeds or not planting pollinator-friendly plants.”

The USDA reports that one out of every three bites of food we eat is thanks to animal pollinators. As home gardeners, there are ways we can help provide what is needed for bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators to survive.