Bees took center stage at the Belle Isle Nature Center this past weekend, as residents gathered for Bee Fest, a day of hands-on activities and talks from experts highlighting the importance of the pollinators and the challenges they face today.
Held on National Bee Day, the event featured beeswax candle-making, presentations from Oakland University researchers, gardening advice, and talks with local beekeepers. The annual festival, now in its 10th year, is organized through a partnership between the Belle Isle Nature Center and the Detroit Zoological Society.
Between 2000 and 2019, half of the Michigan bee populations surveyed by a Michigan State University study declined by more than 50%.
Some studies paint a different picture of the trend nationwide, though. Researchers from the University of Illinois have found that while the number of honey bee colonies decreased or stagnated around the year 2000, they have stabilized and begun to increase since then. The researchers suggest that's largely due to conservation efforts and raised awareness, as well as increased expenditures by beekeepers on treating pests and diseases.
The Belle Isle event included presentations on biodiversity from the Oakland University Department of Biological Sciences, and talks from beekeepers with tips for structuring garden beds and layouts to encourage visitation by pollinating bees.
Bee Fest was established to protect the planet through bee-friendly activities, the Belle Isle Conservancy says. That helps the Detroit Zoological Society in its mission "to create meaningful connections between people, animals, and the natural world so all can thrive."
The next Bee Fest is set to take place next August, for what will be its 11th year.
