The Garden Club and the Office of Sustainability have confirmed, the latest buzz on all things Bees and Earth Day are true! ? ?

This year, Southwestern University purchased 5 beehives to house on-campus bees starting next school year. The hives, to be maintained by Grounds Supervisor Richard Dabbs, are to make their first official appearance at this year’s Earth Day Party, held April 22nd from 4-6 p.m. in the SU Community Garden. The 2022 Earth Day Party, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, the Sustainability Committee, SEAK, and the Garden Club, will sport the theme  “Bees & Teas.” FREE Food will be provided, including, but not limited to: vegan sandwiches, wraps, and cupcakes. Students should expect a beekeeping talk from Dabbs as well as a pollinator trivia game! While we cannot say what the prizes are… we can tell you, they are quite the buzz! ?? (bees will not be given as prizes, but bee-related swag will!)

 If you love bees, the Earth, music, tea, and good vibes, you won’t want to miss out!

The hives, purchased as part of Southwestern’s Bee Campus USA affiliation, mark 3 years since our university’s certification with the Bee Campus USA initiative that made SU “the 1st campus of our peer institutions, 7th campus in the state of Texas, and 87th campus in the nation to have attained Bee Campus USA certification”. This certification, according to the SU website, was accomplished “through a Fall 2019 Environmental Studies capstone project, including Samantha Buehler, Karonech Chreng, Katey Ewton, Abbigail Lloyd, and Spencer Kleypas, as well as with support from Facilities Management, the Sustainability Committee, and their advisor, Dr. Joshua Long.”

These new beehives, painted by SU students, ultimately display Southwestern’s Bee Campus USA commitment “to preserving local biodiversity through protecting native pollinator habitats, limiting the use of synthetic pesticides, and engaging in public awareness initiatives.”

Acknowledgment: A special thank you to Veronica Johnson of the Office of Sustainability & the Sustainability Committee for passing information on as well as providing information on the Bee Campus USA initiative from the Southwestern website (cited under recognitions and reports).