Protect Pollinators, five stamps that honor two insects that help keep the world in balance, were dedicated Aug. 3.
“The Postal Service is paying tribute to the beauty and importance of pollinators — and the essential role they play in producing so much of the world’s flowers, fruits and vegetables,” said USPS Judicial Officer Gary Shapiro, who dedicated the stamps at an American Philatelic Society show in Richmond, VA.
“Pollinators also sustain our ecosystems by cleaning the air, preventing soil erosion and supporting other wildlife,” Shapiro said.
Other speakers at the ceremony included Val Dolcini, president and chief executive officer of the Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit conservation group; Charles Traxler, an assistant regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Stamp Services Director Mary-Anne Penner, who served as emcee.
The 20-stamp sheet features honeybees and monarch butterflies pollinating a variety of North American wildflowers: a monarch and a coneflower; a monarch and a goldenrod; a monarch and a zinnia; a western honeybee and a golden ragwort; and a western honeybee and a New England aster.
The stamps are available at usps.com and Post Offices nationwide. This week’s news release has more information.
