Birds vs. Bees:
A
Homegrown National Park®
Love story
The setting is early spring, in the backyard of the Generic (pronounced JEN-uh-rik) family home. The bees have spent all winter conserving energy, hoping to lose as few individuals as possible, waiting for the bloom of flowers in the spring. They can feel the temperature starting to warm and are feeling glimmers of hope…when the birds show up. They’re huge, they’re stronger, and they compete for the flowers that are left.
The birds are exhausted after a long migration across the land, made more difficult by the shortage of food sources along the way. They’ve finally made it to their favorite spot, the Generic backyard, but for some reason, there seem to be even fewer flowers than last year.
The two pollinators are in competition.
Nectar
Digital Entry
$10
- Access to online participation & Facebook group
- Creative license to dress like a bee any day ending in ‘y’
Bee-luxe
Deluxe Entry
$85
- Access to online participation & Facebook group
- Custom tri-blend t-shirt
- Custom handmade bird or bee ornament
- Birdhouse kit
- Birds vs Bees Sticker
- Garden triptych decorations
- Bees will not sting you
Wing-ular
Standard Entry
$50
- Access to online participation & Facebook group
- Tri-blend gender specific t-shirt
- Custom handmade bird or bee ornament
- Birds vs Bees sticker Sticker
- Garden triptych decorations
- Emotional empathy hummingbirds
Five Distances to Choose From
You can choose from five distances to complete over the course of the event, from February 1st to March 31st:
90 miles
120 miles
180 miles
240 miles
280 miles
320 miles
You can cover the distance on foot, on bike, or with the help of a rowing machine, if you really love rowing.
Swag
Each participant in the Wing-ular or Bee-luxe level will receive their choice of a bee or bird ornament.
Each participant in the Wing-ular or Bee-luxe level will receive a gender specific tri-blend t-shirt.
Each participant in the Wing-ular or Bee-luxe level will receive their choice of a bee or bird ornament.
Each participant in the Wing-ular or Bee-luxe level will a three-piece triptych wooden garden decoration. Made of Western Cedar, the wood is naturally rot resistant and suitable for indoor or outdoor display.
Each participant in the Bee-luxe level will receive an easy-to-build birdhouse kit, complete with building instructions and viewing window.
Weekly Challenges: Pollen Power
Earn the chance to win prizes and increase your pollinator knowledge! Challenges will be emailed out weekly, posted to the Facebook group and available in the app.
Benefitting:
Brought to you by:
FAQs
Am I a bird?
Are you a bird? You tell me. Do you have wings? Do you move in quick and jerky movements? Do you have a beak? Do you watch reality television?
When will my swag arrive?
We will ship it out in mid to late March. We will let you know when its on it’s way!
Do birds and bees talk to each other?
Of course, all the time. They just stop talking every time you look at them, you big snoop.
When do I start running?
Things get started on February 1st! You have until March 31st to finish.
What happens if a bee stings me?
Ask not why the bee stung you, but what you did to the bee to provoke it into stinging you.
How do I switch distances?
This is a challenge, don’t sell yourself short! That said, we realize things come up and hindsight is 20/20. You can change your real distance goal (in other words, the number of miles you need to actually run) after March 1st. To do so, click or tap on the menu icon at the top right of Gravlax and select ‘Settings’ in the menu. From the settings page, you’ll see an ‘Update Goal’ button – click or tap on that and you’ll be mere moments away from a new goal. Note that goal changes are retroactive, so all distance you’ve logged up until the change will be recalculated with the new default multiplier in effect.
What happens if I can't finish my route?
Not every pollinator completes it’s migration!
If you don’t finish, don’t worry, you’ll still get your swag!
Does this count towards the Orca Running R-Pod medal?
Ya sure you betcha!
What does this run benefit?
Birds vs Bees benefits Homegrown National Park. A portion of each registration fee goes to Homegrown National Park, and participants can opt to donate to Homegrown National Park when they register as well.
What is the sizing like on the shirts?
Check out the sizing chart here!!!! (‘standard’ fit)
Do you ship internationally?
We can only ship to the USA and Canada. Shipping to Canada is an extra $25. For those living elsewhere who still would like to participate, we recommend the digital registration option.
Do bike miles count?
Yes! At a ratio of 3.14 bike miles to 1 running mile.
Will Taylor Swift be there?
If Travis Kelce responds to our RSVP, then yes.
The Thing About the Birds and the Bees
Pollinators
Wherever flowering plants flourish, pollinating bees, birds, butterflies, bats and other animals are hard at work, providing vital but often-unnoticed services. About three-fourths of all native plants in the world require pollination by an animal, most often an insect, and most often a native bee.
More than 80 percent of the world’s flowering plants need a pollinator to reproduce; and we need pollinators too, since most of our food comes from flowering plants. One out of every three bites of our food, including fruits, vegetables, chocolate, coffee, nuts, and spices, is created with the help of pollinators.
Pollinators are also a key part of the food web. Insects, like moths, feed more than 80 percent of birds in the U.S., as well as reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. Plus, pollinators contribute to healthy soils and clean water by fostering robust plant communities.
Homegrown National Park
Homegrown National Park is a non-profit call-to-action to regenerate biodiversity and ecosystem funcation by planting native plants and creating new ecological networks.
Homegrown National Park is the official non-profit partner of Birds vs. Bees. A portion of every registration is donated, and participants are encouraged to donate while registering.
Contact
Homegrown National Park® is used with permission from Homegrown National Park, Inc.