The essay topic for 2010 is
Is My Community Honey-Bee Friendly?
Honey bees and other pollinators have been in the news lately. Many beekeepers have experienced colony losses to the yet-unexplained Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. These unexplained losses have caused some people to wonder: What can I do to help? For this essay, you should survey your community to see what is being done, or could be done to help honey bees. Perhaps there are classes to attract new beekeepers – or laws that probibit beekeeping. Does your community allow roadsides and open land to grow up in blooming plants in the spring – or not? Are there resources to help home gardeners make bee-friendly choices? When insecticides are required for pests (for example, mosquito control), are the insecticides chosen or applied with bee protection in mind. Include your state in your survey if there is some reason; for example, your state may have declared the honey bee your state insect, or your state highway department may have a wildflower seeding program.
Students interested in writing should contact their local 4-H offices for contest details. The state selection must be done through the 4-H system. Beekeepers are encouraged to contact their local 4-H offices to see that the essay contest information has been distributed in their states.
The complete announcement and rules are available for download in Adobe PDF format.
