(PRESS RELEASE) Inspired by Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Bee Lab, the Bee Squad helps beekeepers and the community foster healthy bee populations and pollinator landscapes through education and hands-on mentorship. They also communicate the latest bee research to audiences that are passionate about helping bees. They have a multitude of programs to help bees by educating people. Currently, Bee Veterans, Bee Arts, and Pollinator Ambassadors, a project that provides pollinator outreach training to diverse groups ranging from high school students to adult Spanish-speaking immigrants, are part of the Bee Squad.
Gumuchian’s recent donation to City Growers went to help fund their newest honeybee initiative: Brooklyn Bee Corps. A program where Brooklyn-based teens embarked on a summer of beekeeping and native plant restoration, they spent 8 weeks immersed in 5 City Growers hives. Participants learned how to check on the bees, assess their health, find their queen, and all about the glorious honeybee – why we keep bees, what’s happening with the bees across the country and the world, and how honeybees play an important role in our food system. Participants also engaged in native plant restoration on two sites in Brooklyn, learning about native bees and pollinators in the process.