Botanical Garden and Parks Native Bee Program


Engaging Native Bee Education with Your Visitors

All ages frequent gardens and parks, making these spaces rich educational platforms. Introducing native bee habitats offers an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and the role park users can play in their conservation. With no hive to defend, solitary bees rarely sting, making them safe companions for families, children, and pets. Through signage, workshops, and guided tours, visitors can learn about native bee species, their habitats, and the threats they face. This can foster a sense of ownership among visitors that can lead them to take action in their own backyard.

Why Engage in this Initiative?

The decline of native bees is a pressing concern, and you have a unique opportunity to educate the public on their significance, challenges, and proper care. Together, let's demonstrate how to expand bee habitats in a secure, eco-friendly manner.

Since 2008, Crown Bees has been a trailblazer in the solitary bee industry, with education as a cornerstone of their mission. Through our Native Bee Program, we empower botanical gardens and city parks to raise awareness by installing bee houses and providing educational programming. By partnering with organizations like those listed below, we're spreading the buzz of bee conservation.

Sustainability is our mission. We carefully harvest Mason and Leafcutter bees using eco-friendly techniques, educate bee raisers on research-based practices, and prioritize regional diversity to enhance bee survival rates. We also foster collaboration with beekeepers, researchers, schools, and government agencies to address the challenges facing pollinators collectively.

Program Overview

  • Free Villa Bee House and 100 Natural Reeds: Receive essential materials at no cost to kickstart your native bee habitat.
  • Dedicated Webpage: Receive a co-branded sign with a QR code for access to an educational page, empowering park users to take action in their own backyard.

  • Guided Bee Care: Timely emails with step-by-step instructions and videos, ensuring your staff & volunteers confidently engage in sustainable bee care practices.

  • Personalized Support: A dedicated account manager is at your service to answer queries, brainstorm event and educational ideas.

  • Bee Buy Back Program: Participate in our Bee Buy Back Program, allowing you to sell surplus cocoons back to us in the Fall, earning store credit for the next season's nesting reeds.
  • Wholesale Opportunities: We have wholesale opportunities to further enhance your native bee program.
  • Educational Resources: Access a wealth of educational materials at your fingertips to enrich your understanding and engagement with native bees.
  • Participation in our iNaturalist Project: The Crown Bees Community Science Project was created to find the "Who, What, When, and Where" of wild, solitary bees.
  • Social Media Promotion: Tell us when you have an upcoming event, and we'll help you promote it. Let's help each other grow.
    Interested in learning more?
    Contact Kylie Sabra (kylie@crownbees.com).

     

    Participating Gardens

    Bethpage State Park - Farmingdale, NY

    FISH (Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery) - Issaquah, WA 

    Grand Traverse Conservation District - Grand Traverse, MI

    Houston Museum of Natural Science - Houston, TX

    Macon County Conservation District - Decatur, IL

    Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City, OK

    Pacific Bonsai Museum - Federal Way, WA

    Siena Heights University - Lisle, IL

    Takshanuk Watershed Council - Haines and Klukwan, AL