Dear NRDC Activist,

Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators — heralders of Spring and essential contributors to food production — are in danger.

A torrent of bee-toxic pesticides called "neonics" — unleashed by agrochemical companies like Bayer — continue to pummel vital pollinators, and scientists believe they are largely to blame for bees' population decline.

The EPA has done virtually nothing to rein in this assault, so we need to do whatever it takes to put an end to bee-killing neonic uses. Will you help us?

RARE 5X MATCH OPPORTUNITY: Make a tax-deductible gift before May 25th to help us end the harmful use of these deadly bee-killing chemicals, and it'll go 5x as far, up to $100,000, for our pollinators and for defending our environment on all fronts! Even $5 will make a difference.

Acute exposure to neonics can kill bees directly, with some pesticides being 5,000 to 10,000 times more toxic to bees than the now infamous DDT. This devastation to pollinating bee and butterfly populations threatens the balance of our entire ecosystem and food supply. But the agrochemical industry's killing spree doesn't end there:

• Neonics are a threat to honeybees and the 4,000 species of native bees in the U.S., including the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee. 5x match your gift for bees.
• Neonics are taking aim at our crops. When pollinator populations decline, so does our crop yield. Food we rely on pollinators to produce — like apples, cherries, and blueberries — could become luxury items fewer families can afford. Protect the future of our food supply with a gift today.
• Neonics are designed to get inside of plants. But in many cases, less than five percent of the neonics applied ends up in treated plants. The rest — a whopping 95% or more — are left to contaminate the soil, our waterways, and can even end up in the food on our plates. Help put an end to this.
• Neonics are neurotoxic and they have been linked to birth defects and neurological damage in people. All gifts matched 5x.

These killer chemicals are everywhere, from the grass on our lawns to our own bodies, and we need to stop their path of destruction. Please make a gift of just $5 before May 25th and unlock your 5x match that will help your donation do even more to protect our pollinators.

Thanks to your help, our successful courtroom battles are forcing the EPA to evaluate the effects of neonics on endangered species. We're also rallying activists across the country to send thousands of letters, mobilizing advocacy against the industry, and spurring people to take local action to protect pollinators.

When you donate just $5 before midnight on Wednesday, your gift will be MATCHED 5x and do even more to power this critical work to save our pollinators.

Together, we can build a healthy, sustainable future for our pollinators, our lands and water, and our communities.

With gratitude,

Dan Raichel
Acting Director, Pollinator Initiative, Wildlife Division, Nature Program, NRDC