Summer Green Team: Bzz bzz bzz…bees!

Positioned directly across from the hospital, along what is known as the Vinca Slope, lie Cohort Two and Three’s green infrastructure projects; two beautiful terraced rain gardens. In between the two is a small triangular insect hotel, built from wood and peppered with holes for insects to rest within. Our insect hotel was designed to provide a habitat for the bugs vital to our park ecosystem, so that they could continue carrying out their buggy duties, like pollination and pest control. “Encouraging biodiversity in the garden helps to increase ecosystem productivity,” says Robin Horton of resilience.org, and we’ve taken that seriously.

As summertime comes around, you might be seeing more bugs of different varieties–especially bees. Bees in New York tend to burrow underground instead of creating hives in the places you’d usually expect, like high trees or bushes. Fun fact, 70% of bee species are ground nesters, so making underground insect hotels is just right for the honeybees in the area. They even help to aerate the areas where they burrow, encouraging greenery wherever they go.

But not all facts about bees are fun. Despite being vital to our ecosystem, bees are disappearing at a rate faster than ever before. This is caused by habitat loss, pesticide use, diseases, and climate change. Without bees, it’s harder for farmers to grow crops, which means a lower crop yield and higher food prices.

What can we do about this? Well, if you own a backyard, building your insect hotel is a great start! All it takes is some wood and cardboard tubes, and a handy internet tutorial. If you don’t own a backyard, don’t fear. Local beekeepers and organizations are fighting to keep bees around, and supporting them is an excellent way to promote bee population growth. While you’re at it, bee sure to check out Fort Greene Park’s very own insect hotel for some inspiration.

Signing off,
Ayden, Oli, Jacob, and Selina