Saving the Bees in Cleveland: How You Can Make a Difference
🐝 How Cleveland is Protecting Pollinators and Bees
Cleveland is home to a growing movement to protect one of our most important pollinators—bees! These tiny workers are responsible for pollinating the flowers, fruits, and vegetables that make up our local food supply. But like in many parts of the world, bee populations here are in trouble due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. That’s why our city is stepping up to make a difference!
At Hive Works Honey Company, we’re on a mission to create more pollinator-friendly spaces in Northeast Ohio, ensuring that bees have the flowers and habitats they need to thrive. We proudly maintain hives at Riverside Cemetery and Lakeview Cemetery, where our bees play a crucial role in supporting local ecosystems. Through our work program with kids with disabilities, in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, we’re also teaching valuable life skills while making a positive environmental impact. Together, we’re creating a brighter, buzzier future for Cleveland!
🌻 Why Are Pollinators Important for Cleveland’s Environment and Agriculture?
🐝 Food Production – From apples to pumpkins, many of Ohio’s crops rely on pollinators. Without bees, our local farms, gardens, and urban agriculture projects would struggle to produce the food we enjoy.
🌼 Biodiversity – Bees support a healthy ecosystem by pollinating wildflowers and native plants, which provide food and shelter for other wildlife. This is essential for green spaces like the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
🍯 Local Honey & Economy – Cleveland has a thriving beekeeping community, with urban hives producing delicious local honey and supporting small businesses. Supporting local honey means supporting Cleveland’s sustainable agriculture movement.
🌎 How Clevelanders Can Help Save the Bees
🐝 Plant Native Wildflowers – Bees love native plants like milkweed, black-eyed Susans, and bee balm. Adding these to your yard or garden creates a much-needed habitat for pollinators. Consider planting in community gardens or roadside spaces.
🚫 Avoid Pesticides – Many pesticides harm bees and other beneficial insects. Choose organic gardening methods or bee-safe alternatives, especially in urban spaces like the Ohio City Farm or Slavic Village community gardens.
🏡 Support Local Beekeepers – Buying honey from Cleveland-area beekeepers helps sustain healthy bee populations and supports small businesses. Look for local honey at West Side Market, farmers' markets, and small shops.
📢 Join the Hive Works Honey Company Movement – Drop your spare change into our donation jars around the city, and the funds will go toward planting wildflowers in pollinator gardens across Northeast Ohio, including sites near Cleveland Metroparks and Lake Erie shorelines.
🌍 Educate & Advocate – Share the importance of pollinators with friends and family. Encourage local businesses, schools, and parks to plant pollinator-friendly gardens, like those found at Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden.
🌟 Bees, Community, and Inclusion
At Hive Works Honey Company, we believe that saving the bees is a community effort, and we’re making sure everyone can take part. Our work program, in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of DD, helps kids with disabilities learn soft work skills while caring for beehives and planting flowers. It’s a hands-on way to teach responsibility, teamwork, and the importance of environmental stewardship—all while making Cleveland a greener, more bee-friendly city!
🏆 Cleveland, Let’s B the Change!
Every small action adds up. Whether you’re planting a flower, supporting a local beekeeper, or dropping a few coins into a donation jar, you’re helping protect the bees that keep our city buzzing.
Let’s work together to make Cleveland a leading example of pollinator conservation. 🐝💛🌸
