Forestry South Africa celebrates World Bee Day by making bees the focus of their new standard operating procedure
Today, on World Bee Day, Forestry South Africa (FSA) joins a global movement to acknowledge the important ecological role of bees and look for solutions to help curb their dramatic global decline.
“A CropLife article last year provided a light bulb moment, when it discussed the disastrous impact pesticide negligence, in an agricultural setting, had on the bee populations in the Western Cape and how this could have been avoided if those applying the pesticides had simply read the label.” explains Roger Poole, Chairman of the Timber Industry Pesticide Working Group (TIPWG).
Forestry, for the most part, limits its use of pesticides to the establishment phase of plantations or in meeting our legal obligations with regard to the control of invasive weed and preparation of tracer belts for fire breaks.
Reading the label is an integral aspect of the responsible and effective pesticide use promoted by TIPWG. So, in celebration of World Bee Day, TIPWG has produced a Standard Operating Procedure, or SOP, highlighting both the global plight of bees and the importance of reading the label.
Click here, to download the SOP
“As foresters, the single biggest impact on bees’ survival we can have is to always read the label when using pesticides. The importance of this cannot be overstated, as the label contains a wealth of information with regard to using the pesticide including limiting non-target effects”, Roger explains, “however, we wanted the SOP to convey more than simply a message to read the label. We wanted it to champion bees by reminding our members of the bee’s plight and conveying other simple ways the Sector could make a difference, including forging partnerships with beekeeping organisations and planting bee gardens”
TIPWG is challenging FSA members to plant bee gardens and hopes members will help them create 20 new bee gardens across the forestry landscape in celebration of World Bee Day.
For more information, contact Roger Poole chairman@tipwg.co.za and visit the TIPWG website www.tipwg.co.za
Source: Forestry South Africa
