John,

There's a buzz in the air this Earth Day. Bees are venturing out to begin pollinating flowering plants and enabling entire ecosystems to thrive.

But as they do, they'll find more than nectar and pollen. They'll also encounter bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides, which attack bees' brains and can leave them too disoriented to find their way home -- if they aren't paralyzed or killed outright.

We're working to protect bees by getting rid of the worst uses of bee-killing neonics. And right now, you can have double the impact to help save the bees.

When you donate to our Earth Day 2024 Drive before tomorrow's deadline, it will be MATCHED dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 nationwide.

Neonicotinoids (neonics) are a class of neurotoxic pesticides -- meaning they go straight for the nervous system. Exposure can cause uncontrollable shaking, paralysis and death in bees.1

The use of deadly neonics exploded starting in the 1990s. As a result, the landscape has become 48 times more toxic to bees than it was just 30 years ago -- and bee species are feeling the effects.2 One in four known bee species hasn't been seen since the '90s.3

Bees are in peril and they need your help.

Will you donate to Environment Colorado this Earth Day? Your gift will be matched up to $50,000 nationwide when you give before midnight on April 22.

We've also won progress for the bees in recent years, thanks to your support:

• We got the rusty patched bumblebee a spot on the endangered species list, guaranteeing stronger protections for this bee.
• We convinced home and garden giants Home Depot and Lowe's to commit to taking some bee-killing neonics off their shelves. But we're still calling on Home Depot to stop selling all bee-killing pesticides.
• And along with our national network, we're winning action state by state to ban the worst uses of bee-killing pesticides. Already, 10 states have taken action to limit neonics, including Colorado.

Now, we're calling on Amazon, the largest online retailer in the world, to stop selling bee-killing pesticides, and we're urging the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the worst uses of these pesticides as well.

But to make our campaigns a success, we need resources. John, we're so close to reaching our goal to supercharge our campaign to save the bees. And when you make your Earth Day donation before the deadline, you can have double the impact for the bees.

Donate to our Earth Day 2024 Drive by the deadline at midnight tomorrow -- and when you do, it will be MATCHED.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. Oliver Milman, "Fears for bees as US set to extend use of toxic pesticides that paralyse insects," The Guardian, March 8, 2022.
2. Oliver Milman, "Fears for bees as US set to extend use of toxic pesticides that paralyse insects," The Guardian, March 8, 2022.
3. Liz Langley, "We haven't seen a quarter of known bee species since the 1990s," National Geographic, January 22, 2022.

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.