Geneva Park District: Live your best life, bee excited

If you’ve been anywhere near the Community Gardens at Prairie Green this season, you may have seen (or heard) the buzz – literally.

The space, managed by the Geneva Park District, city of Geneva and Forest Preserve District of Kane County, is now home to a new family of Carniolan honeybees.

This spring, Geneva Park District Peck Farm manager Adam Dagley partnered with resident Robert Spelich to install the new home, creating the Community Gardens’ own Bee Yard. Spelich said he became interested in beekeeping several years ago after taking a class through the Geneva Park District. He enjoys beekeeping as a hobby.

In recent years, bees have buzzed into the national spotlight with awareness growing about the vital role these fuzzy friends play in maintaining a healthy outdoor environment.

The countless benefits that bees offer primarily stem from their roles as effective pollinators.

Geneva Park District Peck Farm Manager Adam Dagley welcomes the Carniolan Honey Bees to their new enclosed home adjacent to the Community Gardens at Prairie Green, where they will begin their work as pollinators. (Provided by Geneva Park District)

Dagley talked about the motivation behind building the Bee Yard, citing the goal to “increase the number of pollinators in the area, leading to more flowers, which subsequently leads to more produce.”

Ultimately, the bees will contribute to the Community Garden’s overall health and will help all 131 plots to produce healthy and bountiful crops for seasons to come.

Bee mindful

Park district staff remind gardeners to avoid approaching the beehives and allow the bees to do their work pollinating the gardens.

“The Carniolan honeybee was chosen for the Community Gardens as they tend to be a more docile species, which is a benefit for those managing them,” Dagley said. “That being said, they still have the ability to sting when threatened or in the interest of protecting their hives.”

Bee on the lookout

Beyond their impact on the plants and produce of the Community Garden, the new bees will be monitored for another benefit: their honey.

Dagley expects there will be enough honey to collect and sell at Peck Farm as early as this fall.

For more information about the Community Gardens’ newest bees, call 630-262-8244 or email adagley@genevaparks.com.

• Nicole Dudek is a recreation intern at the Geneva Park District, which aspires to enhance the quality of the community and inspire residents to live their best life.