Source: National Wildlife Federation. http://www.nwf.org/

Did you know that one out of every third bite of food comes to us thanks to pollinators? From beautiful butterflies to busy bees, it’s clear that pollinators are essential to life on our planet.

But, declines in pollinators in North America and around the world pose what could be a significant threat to biodiversity, global food webs and human health.

Help pollinators in your neighborhood. One way is to build "bee houses".

"Bee Houses" provide cover and places to raise young for bees. They're easy and fun to make, or can be purchased commercially from several vendors.

The Orchard Mason Bee is a wonderful little creature. It does not live in a nest like other bees; it lives in wooden blocks, but does not drill holes and destroy wooden items like other bees. It uses holes that are already available. The male Orchard Mason Bee can not sting and the female rarely stings.How to build a bee house:

It's almost time for Community @ the Confluence! Save the date: August 30. Starts at Noon and, as always, is free and open to the public. A great way to transition out of summer mode and into the school year!

This year's program includes Kate Davis, Raptors of the Rockies, and Vicki Edwards, FWP. They'll introduce us to our wild neighbors: including peregrine falcons and big horn sheep (shown in the Blackfoot Canyon in this Kate Davis photo).

Learn about the Clark Fork River Restoration, explore with the Watershed Education Network, tap your toes to live music, and tickle your tummy with a delicious picnic lunch served up by FO2R chefs extraordinaire!

So, tonight I gather up my seat cushion, sun screen, sunflower seeds and sunglasses. We load up the car with ball bags and kids in clean uniforms and head for Kelly Pines. The two Bonner teams find themselves against each other in the City tournament.

Go Bonner Boys!