Culture
Why Indianapolis Is Counting Its Bees
A city-wide count aims to draw attention to pollinators’ precarious place in urban habitats.
If it looks like the residents of Indianapolis have suddenly decidedly to collectively stop and smell the flowers, it could be that they’re squinting to count the bees alighting on the petals.
This week, the city is encouraging its citizens to pitch in to count the pollinators flitting around pocket parks and other green spaces. The citizen science initiative, modeled after a similar program in Australia, is organized by the non-profit Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), and some programming is held in collaboration with local education and advocacy groups such as Bee Public.