TRU – University has been certified as an official Bee City Campus
Bees like different colours. (B.C. Govt photo)
The TRU campus is abuzz after being named a certified Bee City Campus. Kamloops became B.C.’s first Bee City in 2017.
Bee City Canada, a charitable organization committed to pollinator conservation, recently bestowed the honour on the university.
TRU’s bee-friendly efforts include plenty of habitat creation on campus, with native plant gardens, a pollinator garden and an orchard with dozens of fruit trees.
While TRU has had a small colony of honey bee hives on campus since 2011, as a project started by former Culinary Arts instructor Ron Rosentreter, they are primarily used to teach students about sustainable food and ecosystems.
With Bee City Campus designation, TRU is investing more in native bee and pollinator habitat, as well as improving signage to educate the campus community of the bees’ importance in regional ecosystems.
“Everyone in B.C. has been keenly aware of the pressing impacts of climate change over the last few fire seasons,” said Dr. Courtney Mason, TRU Canada Research Chair, Rural Livelihoods and Sustainable Communities.
“Perhaps just as striking for many researchers is the devastating loss of biodiversity throughout the province. Native pollinators are critical species that maintain threatened ecosystems and support biodiversity. This designation will help TRU be a leader in native pollinator education.”
James Gordon, TRU’s manager of sustainability programs, said,“It’s amazing how a tiny creature like a native bee can have such a profound effect on the broader environment. By taking steps to ensure that all bee populations (there are over 450 native bee species in B.C.) and the plants they depend on are healthy, the ripple effect means a move diverse and healthier environment for all species.”
Bees also play a pivotal role in the world’s food production. Scientists and environmentalists alike are especially concerned about the decline of native bee populations and their direct contributions to healthy ecosystems and broader food security.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Beekeeping is not conservation. It’s like saying, “Songbirds are in trouble, let’s get some chickens!” Beekeeping is an agricultural construct, and not a way to save our native bees. TRU has six hives! An abundance of honey bees depletes the available pollen & nectar. There are thousands of honey bees in a hive whereas most our native bees are solitary and must forage for their young by themselves.
The resource extraction of pollen from one apiary is equal to 100,000 wild bees over 3 months! (Cane, 2017) I wonder how many wild native bees have been extirpated in our surrounding grasslands in Kenna Cartwright park by these honeybees.
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I need to see it to believe. The last time I was about the campus I marvelled at the seriously questionable state of maintenance of their hundreds of trees.
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