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Up Close: The Fairmont Bee Hotel in downtown Toronto

While a bee sting is by no means anyone’s favourite thing, we must all do our part to think twice before swatting at one of our beloved Canadian bees. For it’s the bees that pollinate our flowers and trees, and keep giving us wonderful fruits and veggies to enjoy. Of course we can’t forget their delicious honey too!

Unfortunately Canada’s hardworking bee population has been diminishing at an alarming rate, which is why the Wild For Bees campaign was launched by Burt’s Bees Canada three years ago. Since the launch in 2012, Wild For Bees has raised over $50,000 for bee health by selling bracelets and earrings alongside the talented Canadian jewellery designer, Jenny Bird.

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Excitingly, this year’s new initiative brings Wild For Bees together with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Sustainable TO Architecture + Bulding, Pollinator Partnership Canada and Toronto Life to give Canadian bees the five-star treatment and the rest they need.

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The result is a custom creation and installation of five unique bee hotels across Ontario, featuring four in Toronto and one in Guelph. Stepping onto the rooftop of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto, I was able to see first hand the sustainable nesting space for solitary pollinator bees, which make up over 90% of the bee population and work independently to spread pollen and nectar from plant to plant, flower to flower. Don’t you just love the idea of little bee suites?

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On the other side of the roof, the Fairmont Royal York has their very own private rooftop garden for the use of their restaurant EPIC. To help spread awareness, The Fairmont will be serving a menu filled with pollinator-friendly foods throughout the summer. And if Happy Hour happens to be more your thing, the “Buzz-tini” will be available at the Library Bar until the end of August. A portion of menu proceeds will be donated to Pollinator Partnership Canada.

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Although the month of June is coming to an end, there’s still time to get your hands on Burt’s Bees new limited-edition Hydrating Lib Balm with Coconut and Pear in tandem with Pollinator Month. 100% of the proceeds of the lip balm purchased throughout June will go toward the expansion of the Wild For Bees bee hotel initiative across the country.  BurtsBees_BeeHotel8

If eating for the bees and moisturizing your lips for the bees just isn’t enough, you’re in luck! This year Burt’s Bees teamed up with the Canadian design duo, Bellevance, to launch a limited-edition lip holster. The unique beauty accessory contains two best-selling Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balms and two brand new Burt’s Bees lip shimmer in pretty shades of peach and pink — perfect for summer!

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The Bellevance x Burt’s Bees Limited Edition Lip Collection & Holster is available for $19.99 CAD at BurtsBees.ca and where Bellavance is sold.

We may be in the last official week of “Pollinator Month 2014″ but that’s no reason to stop supporting and taking care of our bees! Love them all summer by letting them busy about in peace, and by giving them the extra support they need through these great, ongoing initiatives, from Burt’s Bees and Pollinator Partnership Canada. For more information on the Bee Hotels, click HERE.

  For The Bees!

xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post #WildForBees: Fairmont Bee Hotel Opens In Toronto! appeared first on Gracie Carroll.