Get your own honey at Bees in the D fundraiser this Saturday
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A little over three year ago, dozens of bee hives were placed around Detroit on vacant lots and rooftops. There are now more than 100 hives throughout Detroit and southeastern Michigan to help promote preservation and sustainability.
Brian Peterson-Roest was a fifth grade teacher in Rochester ten years ago when he attended a beekeeping conference. He immediately saw the importance of bees and how they can help.
While some people run from the bees, Brian runs toward them to protect them. He realized there was a major decline in the bee population and started the non-profit Bees in the D.
You can often find him working at one of his more than 100 hives he has put on top of buildings, vacant lots and urban gardens throughout Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.
This week, he showed Taryn Asher the hives at a vacant lot off Atwater in Detroit.
"More and more places like Shinola Hotel and Foundation Hotel and Cobo realize the importance, and are realizing there is wasted space up on roofs. And so we put bees up there, and they do their thing, and we do our thing," Brian said.
Brian says many people don't realize how important bees are - assisting in the pollination of plants, the environment and the food industry.
One out of 3 bites you take they say is reliant on bees for pollination. It's very important to food industry and they're also very important to, like I said, our ecosystem. So, we're trying to educate people on the importance of bees,"
Bees in the D is hosting their big fundraiser Saturday, June 29th at the Outdoor Adventure Center on Atwater in Detroit. Money will go toward funding a new education center and buying more hives to save the bees. There will be food, music, and live auction. Plus - you can buy a jar so you can suit up and fill it with honey!
Get more information about the Bees in the D fundraiser on their website here.
And don't be afraid of honey bees. They're actually very docile and unlikely to sting you.