Bees in the D is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to create a cooperative effort between residents, schools, organizations, and businesses in the city of Detroit and Southeast Michigan to contribute to both the health of honey bee colonies and native pollinators, and the education of their importance to our environment.
WHAT WE DO
Bees in the D is creating a community wide effort to educate on the importance of pollinators and honeybees by engaging guests with hands-on beehive tours.
BUILDING THE MOTOR CITY’S BEE HIGHWAY
Check out our Detroit Bee Highway, a network consisting over 200 honeybee hives at 60 locations across 5 Michigan counties. We have introduced over 12 million bees! We’re working together to make Detroit the best it can BEE!
WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED
Placed our first 6 hives in 2016, and grew to over 200 hives in 2021!
We maintain an apiary at Oakland University, University of Detroit, and MLK High School to educate about honeybees and their conservation.
Installed 4 hives and an interactive live honeybee exhibit at the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center.
Advised ordinances in favor of beekeeping within city and urban communities.
Organized honey harvests to engage the public and educate about the process.
State of the art Hive Tracks Software used to compile data and reports for clients and data compiled for the betterment of beekeeping globally.
Partnered with local businesses to use our honey in their products.
Place hives within community gardens to increase crop yields for enjoyment of the community.
Brought back the beekeeping patch to Girlscouts of S.E Michigan
Ambassador with The Bee Conservancy and other pollinator groups.
Present to neighborhood groups to ease misconceptions
Work with local children's groups, boy-scouts, and girl-scouts
Hold interactive presentations at nature centers about gardens, beekeeping, and other pollinators.
“BEE” THE CHANGE
“I would like to see Detroit become a national leader in the conservation of pollinators and promotion of urban beekeeping. Since 2010, I have been a hobbyist beekeeper and have come to realize that they are one of the most amazing creatures on this Earth. Sadly, if we don't act now they will be on the brink of extinction. People do not realize the devastation this will cause globally.”
“I used to think, that honey bees only belong in the country. My eyes were opened one day while walking in Battery Park in New York City. I watched as thousands of people walked by the BeeVillage: The Battery which is an apiary located at The Battery Conservancy. This caused me to do some research and I discovered that honeybees are extremely productive in cities, especially cities like Detroit, that have large amounts of green space.”
