Gov. Pritzker has designated an official Illinois State Bee, following a student-led initiative. The state bee is the Black and Gold Bumblebee. Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 4438 into law yesterday. The black and gold bumblebee serves as a critical prairieland pollinator – boosting Illinois’ natural ecosystem, supporting agriculture, and even helping to sustain life on earth.
This action follows a year of advocacy by students from Naperville’s Lincoln Junior High School. Last year, the students in educator Barbara Bell’s 8th grade science class led an initiative to grant this designation, following a research assignment on bee species native to Illinois. They designed presentations to be distributed to schools across Illinois, organized a statewide student vote, and testified in committee.
These efforts led to the passage of HB 4438, a labor of state pride and civic engagement…