Bees have more friends in high places than they once had. Large die-offs of bee populations have convinced people to take greater care of bees and other pollinators.
Bee City USA formed a few years ago to identify bee-friendly communities across the country, and three neighboring Rogue Valley cities--Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix--are among the first 15 cities so designated.
Southern Oregon University, now designated a "Bee Campus," hosts a conference on pollinators and the issues they face, this weekend. Bee City USA Executive Director Phyllis Stiles drops in before the conference to talk about her organization.