We have an amazing Stacy K Floral Loves today and an organization that is very dear to our hearts as one of our very own Danielle is really involved in this wonderful cause (she is a founder). Meet Sweet Beez non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a stronger honeybee population in the Rochester area, while educating and empowering local communities. AMAZING right!!? This organization is completely made up of volunteers and is based right downtown Rochester, complete with bee hives all around Monroe County. Founded in 2013 by beekeepers who were concerned with the declining honey bee population, they focused their efforts and decided to tackle this global problem on a local level first.
Do you know about the benefits of urban beekeeping for both the honey bees and the community? By creating hives in places like a rooftop Sweet Beez is working towards increasing pollination of local flora within the city while also keeping honey bee populations away from harmful pesticides. So yes for so many reasons this is an organization that is really important to us here at Stacy K Floral. Sweet Beez also offers a really unique and wonderful hands on learning environment. They currently have educational courses at The Seneca Park Zoo and local libraries, they maintain traveling observation hives for use at festivals as well as schools and libraries, hive management at multiple locations including vacant city lots and residential backyards and more educational opportunities offered to elementary schoolers at Harley School and Cobblestone School.
Beyond being a great educational tool, they offer many economic resources to local beekeepers. They have bike-powered honey extractors, a great outlet to those who keep hives, but have no way to process the honey. They also have been host to the Rochester Beekeepers' Association, where enthusiasts gathered and exchanged ideas. It is their goal to assist students and local community gardens in starting and managing their own hives, which provides valuable job skills while helping the environment.
It is such an amazing cause. Click here to read more on their website and see how you can help be part of and support all the buzz around Sweet Beez and this incredible cause.