John,

Summertime means family vacations, but if you've taken a road trip anytime recently, you may have noticed something's changed over the years: There don't seem to be nearly as many dead bugs on the windshield.1

It's not your imagination. In fact, so many insects have disappeared that scientists are calling it an "insect apocalypse."2

Bees have been especially hard-hit. Of the 50 different species of bumblebees in the U.S., at least a quarter of them are at risk of going extinct.3

We're working to stop the decline of insect populations and preserve all wildlife. We've set a goal of raising $50,000 by June 30 to help save the bees, butterflies and more.

Will you make a special donation to help meet our 2025 Fiscal Year-End Drive goal and save the bees?

And as we lose more and more insects, it could have ripple effects throughout entire ecosystems. Already, insect populations are declining by 1 to 2% every year.4

Insects might not be the most beloved or cuddly creatures, but they're absolutely essential to the survival of all other life on Earth -- especially bees.

Indeed, bees play an especially important role as pollinators for many of the foods we love, including apples, melons, cranberries, pumpkins, broccoli and almonds.5

But wild bee species are increasingly in trouble due to habitat loss, disease and especially neonicotinoid pesticides. The American bumblebee, for example, has declined by 90% in recent years, and the Franklin's bumblebee hasn't been observed by scientists since 2006.6,7

That's why Environment Colorado is urging major retailers like Target to stop selling bee-killing pesticides.

Will you donate to help save bees from deadly pesticides and other threats?

It's time for corporations like Target to do their part by committing to not sell bee-killing pesticides.

We've been working for years to convince major retailers to take action to save the bees, and we've seen retailers like Lowe's and Home Depot take meaningful steps to create a more bee-safe world. Both retailers agreed to stop selling plants grown with bee-killing pesticides.

Now we're calling on Target to take action as well.

As a grassroots, membership-funded organization, we rely on your donations to power everything we do, from saving the bees to protecting old-growth forests and defending nature.

Donate today to help us save the bees in the year ahead.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. Noel Kirkpatrick, "What Is the 'Windshield Phenomenon'?" Treehugger, July 25, 2022.
2. Stephen Leahy, "Insect 'apocalypse' in U.S. driven by 50x increase in toxic pesticides," National Geographic, August 6, 2019.
3. Jan Peterson, "Bumble Bee Atlas: A Nationwide Buzz," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, May 2, 2023.
4. Tess McClure, "'Half the tree of life': ecologists' horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects," The Guardian, June 3, 2025.
5. "Helping Agriculture's Helpful Honey Bees," U.S. Food and Drug Administration, July 30, 2018.
6. Elizabeth Gamillo, "The American Bumblebee Has Nearly Vanished From Eight States," Smithsonian Magazine, October 6, 2021.
7. Erik Neumann, "Franklin's Bumble Bee, Last Seen On Mt. Ashland In 2006, Now Protected As Endangered Species," Jefferson Public Radio, August 24, 2021.

Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. Environment Colorado may transfer up to $50 per dues-paying member per year into the Environment Colorado Small Donor Committee.