Families Plant Wildflowers at Pioneer Village to Bring Back the Bees

Kids, parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents will gather at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto on Friday, June 10th to plant wildflowers and help provide more natural habitat for bees, as part of General Mills Canada's "Bring Back the Bees" campaign.

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After beloved mascot Buzz Bee was taken off the front of Honey Nut Cheerios cereal boxes earlier this spring, Canadians from every province went to www.bringbackthebees.ca to request free packages of bee friendly wildflower seeds. Over 100 million seeds were distributed across the country! It's all part of the effort to raise awareness about the instability of Canada's bee populations and their importance in helping to pollinate the plants which produce one in every three bites of food we eat. Now, Honey Nut Cheerios is encouraging Canadians to plant those wildflowers and help Bring Back the Bees.

WHAT: Bring Back the Bees wildflower planting event.  Family friendly activities include:
• A beekeeper and hive
• Face painting
• Arts and Crafts
• Seeds and planting instructions to create Your own bee friendly garden

WHEN: Friday, June 10th (an elementary school PA day within the Toronto District School Board)
10:00 a.m. – event opens to the public
10:30 a.m. – speaking remarks
11:00 a.m. – families help plant our garden, led and designed by Mark Cullen

WHERE: Black Creek Pioneer Village, 1000 Murray Ross Parkway (near the intersection of Steeles Ave. and Jane St.) WHO: Canada's gardening expert Mark Cullen, Buzz Bee, family members of all ages, officials from General Mills Canada

WHY: Bees are among the most important pollinators who help provide one in three bites of food we eat – but their populations are unstable. Planting wildflowers is one of the best and most fun ways Canadians can help Bring Back the Bees. Go to www.bringbackthebees.ca for more information.

Participants can speak to:
- The importance of bees in pollinating food crops
- The critical role played by wildflowers in sustaining bee colonies
- How the simple act of planting flowers can make a big difference

SOURCE General Mills Canada