The Honey Bee Project with Abby Gordon

            Our Program on March 5^th was Abby Gordon presenting her “Honey Bee Project” and was introduced by her proud Aunt, Chris Lizee.  Abby is 15 years old and a student at MHS and is in her third year of Student Government and is Captain of the Speech Team.  However, her passion is Honey Bees!                       

            Abby exclaimed that “honey bees are in great distress from pesticides and their immune systems are down!”  She noted that bees are necessary for vegetation and a large portion of our food supply and “that if nothing is done the honey bee will cease to exist by 2035!”  She saw a public television program on “The Silence of the Bees” and became motivated to do something about it.  So she started the “Honey Bee Project” and is getting some help and encouragement from the U of M and the Arboretum.                                                                                                                          The Honey Bee Project has several parts:  1) To educate people about the plight of the honey bee; 2) To do fundraising for the U of M’s Bee Lab; 3) To provide a healthier habitat for bees; 4) To create a website; 5) To educate elementary students about the threat to bees and she has already worked with the students at Groveland; 5) to purchase bee hives and to place them in areas of healthy habitat; 6) and to find volunteer community bee keepers to help maintain and protect the bees.                                                                                                                                  We were all in awe of this articulate, passionate and dedicated young person and she answered all the questions without hesitation!         Abby said with a smile, “The placement of honey bee hives is all about Location-Location and Location!”  Everybody loved it!  She went on to explain that locating the hives in areas near natural plants and gardens improves the bees’ chances of survival.  Abby concluded by pitching the benefits of Gardens and Bees as a source of outdoor interactive education about eco systems, society benefits from their survival, and the overall environment will become healthier.                                                                                                                            President Litfin shared with the club that the Board of Directors has voted in favor of funding a $400 bee hive colony and will send its recommendation on to the Foundation for funding at their March 19^th meeting.