Anthropologie offers Bee Tees

In conjunction with Earth Day, Anthropologie has introduced two T-shirts that draw attention to the plight of honeybees and the organizations dedicated to saving them.

The T-shirts - appropriately named Bee Tees - were designed in conjunction with Edun. They were made in Peru from 100 percent organic cotton. One depicts a bee pollinating flowers against a white background. The other has a yellow backdrop and presents bees in graphically interpreted honeycombs.

Both styles will be available at select Anthropologie locations and retail for $68.

To further raise awareness of the issue, Anthropologie’s stores - including the one at the Westfield UTC mall - will display bee-themed window installations that reflect in direct and abstract ways upon bees’ role in our world. Bee-related iconography such as hives and honeycombs have been created with unexpected materials.

Honeybees are responsible for one-third of our food supply, pollinating more than 100 crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. One out of every three bites of food an average American eats is directly attributable to honeybee pollination.

More than 25 percent of the Western honeybee population has disappeared in the last several years. Researchers have named the phenomenon, which has been reported in more than 35 states, Colony Collapse Disorder. The cause is unknown, and factors may include chemical exposure, mites, poor nutrition and viruses.