Bee City USA - Carlinville Beginnings
The City of Carlinville has a unique history in pollinator awareness. Charles Robertson (1858-1935), a Carlinville resident and professor at the local college, Blackburn College, conducted research from 1884-1916 and documented interactions between insects and fauna within a 10 mile radius around the City. He found about 300 species of bees of which some are named after him, and his scientific papers are still one of a kind and are cited by pollinator researchers today. Read Charles Robertson’s bio here.
Carlinville’s interest in pollinators continues. In early 2019 a group of interested residents wanted to plant trees on public properties and formed the “Make Carlinville Beautiful” volunteer group. The volunteers consulted with the City’s Tree City USA Committee, Park District and the local University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and began planting trees in city parks and at local schools. They have since expanded their beautification efforts and installed their first pollinator planting at Carlinville’s new Amtrak Station.
The interest in the volunteers initiative and activities grew. Local businesses and individuals began to contribute funds through Carlinville’s Winning Communities (501c3) to improve additional locations. By fall of 2019, the group has 17 targeted locations which includes city properties, parks, schools and local businesses.
With the growing number of projects and Blackburn College receiving Bee Campus USA and Tree Campus USA certifications in April, 2019, the “Make Carlinville Beautiful” group included the College in their partnerships and began pursuing the Xerces Society’s ‘Bee City USA’ certification for the City of Carlinville. A Pollinator Resolution was presented to the City Council and was unanimously approved on September 23, 2019. The application for the Bee City USA certification was then completed, submitted and approved by the Xerces Society that same month, giving Carlinville the designation of being the first city in Illinois to receive Bee City USA designation.
Bee City USA - Carlinville’s action plan is to:
create or expand pollinator-friendly habitat on public and private land.
raise awareness in the local community of pollinator conservation and pollinator habitat planting or restoration.
report and celebrate community achievements of conservation and expanding pollinator health and habitat.
The overall goal is to have the City of Carlinville, including Blackburn College, be recognized as leaders in pollinator conservation and ultimately “Make Carlinville (more) Beautiful”!