Beekeepers buzzing on the Battery
BY ELISE BIRKETT
In a city that less than a decade ago
labeled honeybees as equally dangerous
as hyenas and venomous
snakes, beekeeping has become not
only a hobby for many New Yorkers,
but a platform for bee conservation and
food-insecurity education.
In July, bees were declared the most
important species on Earth, according
to a study conducted by the Earthwatch
Institute. However, despite their signifi -
cance, bees today face serious risks associated
with climate change, pesticide
use, colony-collapse disorder, habitat
loss and parasites.
One in four native bee species in
North America are at risk of extinction,
according to the Center for Biological
Diversity. Beekeeping in New York City
is bolstering bee populations against
these threats.
The Honeybee Conservancy, a nonprofi
t based on the Upper East Side,
launched a two-fold campaign called
#BeetheSolution last month to address
problems of hunger while also securing
the future for bees. During a workshop
at The Battery Urban Farm recent, executive
director of The Honeybee Conservancy,
Guillermo Fernandez, spoke
to participants about the importance of
these pollinators and how beekeeping in
the city can benefi t local food production.
Fernandez, who works days as a
marketing director at Spectrum Reach,
explained that their campaign donates
beehives to community gardens in lowincome
neighborhoods, which increases
these gardens’ food yields while supporting
honeybee and native bee species.
“I remember times when my parents
were struggling to get food for us and it
was an area that didn’t have really any
fresh fruit or vegetables,” Fernandez
said, on refl ecting how growing up in a
Ian Sklarsky, a beekeeper and the creative advisor at The Honeybee
Conservancy, shows attendees of the Beekeeping workshop, hosted at
the Battery Urban Farm, a look at the bee and honey-covered frames
from inside the bee boxes.
food desert infl uenced his work today.
Fernandez said the conservancy recently
donated a beehive to Hell’s Kitchen
Farm Project through the Sponsor-a-
Hive grant. He anticipates the difference
their grant will make to the soup kitchen
and Community Supported Agriculture
garden will be signifi cant.
“We expect they’ll go from 250 to
400 pounds of food that they’re giving
out to homeless people and families in
need here in New York City,” he said.
At the workshop, co-hosted by The
Honeybee Conservancy and New York
City’s school gardens program Grow to
Learn, Fernandez and two beekeepers
PHOTO BY ELISE BIRKETT
from the conservancy showed participants
the beehive kept at the Battery Urban
Farm, located in the northeastern
edge of Battery Park near State Street
and Battery Place.
While the beekeepers pulled out a
bee- and honey-covered frame from one
of three yellow bee boxes, Fernandez
said that decreased use of pesticides in
New York City (as compared to rural
areas) means beekeeping in the city is
better at revitalizing bee populations,
while also increasing local pollination
and therefore, food production in the
city.
Both honeybees and native New York
bees, like the Mason and leafcutter species,
are critical pollinators for fruits,
vegetables and native New York plants.
A 2016 UN report disclosed that more
than 75 percent of the world’s food
crops depend to some extent on pollinators
like bees, so our ability to thrive is
dependent on theirs.
Jennifer Sclafani, 30, a pre-K teacher
at a private school, attended the event
to become more educated on bees in the
city. “I just really love them,” Sclafani
said. “It’s important for me to know
more about something I really love so I
can teach more effectively.”
Chelsea Yamada, 27, a cycling and
safe streets advocate who attended the
event, also agreed beekeeping in the
city is an effective way to invigorate bee
populations while reducing food insecurity
and giving more people access to local
produce. Yamada felt it provides an
opportunity to enjoy nature in an urban
PHOTO BY ELISE BIRKETT
Guillermo Fernandez, executive
director of the Honeybee Conservancy,
explains that the bee
nesting house he holds contains
hollow tubes of various diameters
that act like the reeds behind
him, providing a space for bees to
burrow and lay their eggs.
environment.
Fernandez believes everyone can, and
should, help support bee populations.
He suggests New York City residents
plant fl owers such as marigolds, lavender
and nasturtium, avoid hybridized
plants which produce little pollen, build
homes for native bees, and support local
beekeepers by buying locally grown
honey and produce. “Helping support
the bee population will also help support
us,” Fernandez said.
While the threats bees face are serious,
New York City and other urban
environments are making it easier for
individuals to explore beekeeping and
conservation. Fernandez believes saving
the bees comes down to collective
action. In order to make these changes,
people must come together and each do
what they can.
For him, dedicating time to educating
others and providing support is most
important.
“I was blessed enough that I was a
bookworm and I ended up going to a
good school,” Fernandez said, refl ecting
again on his own upbringing. “Now I’m
doing well, and this is really my way of
giving back.”
PHOTO BY ELISE BIRKETT
The Honeybee Conservancy beekeepers Nicole Toutounji (left), program
advisor and bee ambassador, and Ian Sklarsky, creative advisor,
are seen tending to the beehive located in the southernmost end of Battery
Park. Toutounji holds a bee smoker which is used to calm the bees,
while Sklarsky can be seen suiting up in the protective covering.
4 October 31, 2019 Schneps Media