GLOUCESTER, Va. (WAVY) – Gloucester County is doing its part to save the bees.

Gloucester recently became a Bee City USA affiliate, joining other cities like Hampton, Newport News, and Virginia Beach, in a mission to sustain pollinators, which are responsible for almost 90% of the world’s flowering plants. These pollinators include bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds.

The Bee City USA – Gloucester County Committee will meet quarterly to determine how the area can make the locality more pollinator-friendly. The committee will spread public awareness to encourage the creation and enhancement of pollinator habitats on public and private lands.

“Our community has let it be known that they understand the importance of sustaining pollinators and want to make the county more pollinator-friendly,” Gloucester Clean Community Coordinator Sherry Kosakowski said. “If we encourage many residents to begin planting native, pesticide-free flowering trees, shrubs, and perennials, it will create large-scale change for many, many species of pollinators.

Bee City USA is a nonprofit based in Portland. It’s mission to empower communities to sustain pollinators by improving them with healthy habitats and native plants free of insecticides.