Watch the recording of our Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Renewal Report Walk-Through.
Each February, Bee Cities and Bee Campuses submit their annual reports and pay their renewal fees. We are looking forward to hearing about your 2024 Bee City and Bee Campus pollinator conservation accomplishments. We’ve rounded up some advice to help get you ready for February 1st.
Why report?
Reporting is a chance for you to reflect on what has been done and to celebrate your successes. We use these reports to track your progress and our collective progress, and as an educational resource for affiliates and the public. We also share your achievements with our funders, who make it possible to run the program. Reporting helps us develop best practices and create better tools help our affiliates.
If we do not receive a renewal report for two consecutive years in which reports were due, affiliates will be decertified. We are looking for progress, not perfection, so we encourage you to share what you can about your efforts. Please let us know if you need support.
You all have a lot of great work to share and these documents provide institutional memory, both for us and our BCUSA affiliates. To quote our founder, Phyllis Stiles:
“These reports are bursting with inspiring stories of communities planting pesticide-free habitat rich in a diversity of locally native plants, discussing their community’s pest management policies with pollinators in mind, and hosting events for young and old to create awe for and greater understanding of the plant-pollinator collaboration that makes our planet bloom and fruit.”
Your collective achievements really add up! We are so grateful for your participation and hard work. Thank you for taking the time to share your accomplishments with all of us.
First, the renewal deadlines
Renewals happen in February of each year. You don’t have to renew until you have been an affiliate for at least an entire calendar year. If your city or campus was first certified* in:
- 2023 or earlier: You should report and renew each year. The deadline is February 28, 2025
- 2024: Your first renewal deadline is February 28, 2026. After that, you will renew annually.
- 2025: Your first renewal deadline is February 28, 2027. After that, you will renew annually.
*Note: You can view your city/campus certification date when you log in, under the “About” tab.
Quick tips
- Start by reviewing your past affiliate renewal reports.
- Is this your city’s/campus’s first renewal? Look over other affiliates’ renewal reports.
- Need inspiration? Read the Affiliate Spotlights on the Bee City blog to see how other cities and campuses talk about their work.
- Gather a variety of photos: action shots, closeups, gardens at peak bloom. Now is the time to show off!
- Short on time? Prioritize gathering statistics and photos, then reuse relevant content you’ve created already, such as grant reports, webinar descriptions, social media, articles, and press releases. Recycling is good!
- Feel free to promote your partnerships. Who helped you succeed? What did they do?
- Consider including quotes from participants, officials, or staff.
How to report
1. Ready to report? Log in.
- Don’t know your login credentials? Email us at [email protected].
- There is one login per affiliate. You are welcome to share your login credentials within your fellow Bee City/Campus committee.
- Click on “My Profile” at the top.
2. Update your “About” tab:
Click the “Edit” button to add or update your public contact information:
- email address
- website URL
- social media profiles
These will automatically be attached to the bottom of each of your annual reports when we publish them.
3. Update your “Profile” tab:
If needed, click the “Edit” button to update your Bee City/Campus Committee List. Please include:
- Names,
- Job titles
- Email addresses
We encourage you to have at least one parks/grounds/landscape staffer on your committee. Committees should have at least 3 members.
If you haven’t already done so, submit your:
- Integrated pest management (IPM) plan
- Recommended native plant list
- Recommended native plant supplier list
These can be uploaded as attachments or you can share a URL at the bottom of the page. These will automatically be attached to the bottom of each of your annual reports when we publish them.
4. Fill out your “Renewal” tab:
Before you start your report, you can review the questions by downloading the Renewal Report Preview document on your “Renewal” tab (or just scroll down the page to skim things) or to use the document to gather your answers. The questions are the same as those in last year’s report.
Click the “Edit” button at the bottom of the page to begin filling out your report.
How much should you write? Finished reports are usually 2-5 pages (with photos). A few sentences per question is usually fine, but you are welcome to write more.
When finished: Mark it as “Ready for Review” at the bottom of the “Renewal” page and save your report by clicking the “Update” button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
5. Pay your renewal fee on the “Fee Payment” tab
Click on the “Fee Payment” tab. Let us know if the cost is a barrier, we may be able to waive the fee.:
- Whether you are paying by check or credit card, click the “Make Payment” button.
- Invoices and our W-9 are included on the “Fee Payment” tab.
- Fees are based on population/student enrollment, so be sure you have updated this information on your “Profile” tab.
- If your city/campus was an Early Adopter (one of our very first affiliates) you do not need to pay the renewal fee. If you’re not sure, email us at [email protected].
What happens next?
We process and approve renewal reports on a rolling basis from February through May. Affiliates receive an email when their report has been approved. Alternately, affiliates can log in and navigate to the “Renewal” tab to view their renewal report status.
In July, we will post our collective 2024 annual report on our blog and upload all affiliate reports on Our Work page, under Affiliate Renewal Reports. You can view some of our past Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA annual reports here: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.
Need help?
Watch the recording of our Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Renewal Report Walk-Through.
Please feel free to reach out Laura and Carly if you need any support: [email protected].
