New Delhi, April 22: Google, the search engine giant, updated the doodle on its landing page to generate a buzz on the Earth Day 2020. Also referred to as the International Mother Earth Day, it is dedicated towards evoking passion and love towards nature conservation. The Google Doodle, on this occasion, aims to highlight the importance of bees to our planet. Earth Day 2020 Poems: 5 Instagram Share-Worthy Poems on Mother Earth To Read and Encompass the Beauty of Nature.

For this doodle, Google had partnered with The Honeybee Conservancy to share intriguing facts related to honeybees and their importance to the ecosystem. The landing page of the search engine aimed at mass educated the netizens on the role played by honeybees not only through pollination, but also providing consumable products like honey which play a crucial role in strengthening the immune system.

The detailed note, which the user finds after clicking on the doodle, contains insights from Honeybee Conservancy founder Guillermo Fernandez. In his message, the environmentalist explains to the readers why it is essential for everyone to ensure bees are part of their immediate surroundings.

Honeybees to who pollinate 1 in 3 bites of food we eat and are vital to healthy ecology, he said, adding that there are 20,000 species of bees around the world who do this essential work. "In North America, currently 1 in 4 of the 4,000 native bee species are at risk of extinction. On a larger scale, the world’s survival depends on theirs," he further said.

"Second, I wanted to find ways to empower underserved communities like the one I grew up in to produce healthy food and build green spaces. Our flagship program Sponsor-a-Hive gives honeybee hives and native bee homes to organizations ranging from gardens to schools," Fernandes was quoted as saying.

"By alleviating financial and educational barriers (keeping honeybee hives is a costly investment that requires training), we create access to resources that in turn produce food, improve the environment, and bring people together," he added.

Read The Remainder of The Honeybee Conservancy Chief's Note

What we love about today’s Google Doodle is how it captures the impact a single bee has on the plants and habitats it visits. Imagine then, the pollinating power that trillions (yes, trillions!) of bees have on ecosystems around the world! 

Today’s Doodle also reminds us all of how small actions performed by individuals everywhere add up to big results. And while beekeeping may be not be for everyone, there are so many easy ways to help save bees, even while social distancing in today’s world:

Support your local beekeeper. When purchasing honey and beeswax products, choose locally-made options to invest in local beekeepers, who sustainably raise bees and bolster the community. 

Donate time or funds to local environmental groups. Bees are part of a complex ecosystem, and contributions to organizations that support any conservation effort will help strengthen the environment.

Make safe havens for native bees. Most native bees have a solitary lifestyle: 30% live in holes inside trees, and 70% live underground. Give them shelter by providing exposed, undisturbed soil or nesting boxes that you can buy or make yourself.

Create a bee bath. Fill a shallow bird bath or bowl with clean water, and arrange stones inside so that they poke out of the water. Bees will land on the stones to drink on breaks from foraging and pollinating.

Plant a pollinator garden. Diversify sources of bee nutrition while beautifying spaces with pollinator-friendly plants. Make a garden in spaces ranging from window boxes to full yards, and consider using a mix of multi-season blooms to provide year-round sustenance.

There’s no sweeter feeling than knowing you’ve helped save the bees. Learn more here about honeybees, native bees, and ways you can help. At the very least, we hope you’ll swarm over to today’s Google Doodle to learn more about our helpful, winged friends!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2020 01:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).