John,

Bumblebees are in a dire situation.

The Franklin's bumblebee hasn't been seen since 2006. The endangered rusty patched bumblebee population has declined by 86%. And the American bumblebee has disappeared from 8 states.1,2,3

With so many bumblebee species on the edge of extinction, they need our help now. We need to protect them from pesticides while there's still a chance of saving them.

We've set a goal of raising $200,000 by midnight on Dec. 31 to help save bumblebees. Donate now to help keep bumblebees safe.

The very flowers that bees depend on are killing them.

When a bumblebee lands on a flower, it doesn't know that it's collecting pollen laden with pesticides. By that point, it's too late for the fuzzy bumblebee. The pesticide-laced pollen takes hold, first disrupting their foraging, then over time, killing them.

And with neonicotinoid pesticides on the rise and bumblebees in decline, their survival is hanging by a thread.4

Before bumblebees go extinct, we have to stop using pesticides that kill them.

Colorado has already banned some of the worst uses of bee-killing pesticides. Along with our national network, Environment Colorado is working to take that ban nationwide. But with millions of gallons of neonicotinoid pesticides still for sale, we're also campaigning to persuade major companies to stop selling the pesticides.

We're calling on The Home Depot, Amazon and Walmart to stop selling bee-killing pesticides to customers. And we're urging Nutrien Ag Solutions to stop selling seeds coated with neonicotinoids.

We need to do all we can to protect bumblebees from pesticides. To make it happen, we're counting on supporters like you to donate.

Give to our Year-End Drive to help save bumblebees.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. Matt Kelly, "Bumblebee not seen since 2006 listed as endangered," National Geographic, September 3, 2021.
2. Zoe Statman-Weil, "Rusty-Patched Bumblebee (Bombus affinus)," U.S. Forest Service last accessed September 11, 2023.
3. Elizabeth Gamillo, "The American Bumblebee has nearly vanished from eight states," Smithsonian Magazine, October 6, 2021.
4. Jonathan Hettinger, "EPA says three widely used pesticides driving hundreds of endangered species toward extinction," Missouri Independent, July 27, 2023.

Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. Environment Colorado may transfer up to $50 per dues-paying member per year into the Environment Colorado Small Donor Committee.