The honey bee pasture and educational outreach project at Prineville Honey Bee Haven would not have been possible without the tremendous support of several individuals and organizations. Because of the generosity of many, we are able to offer much to our community. Local honey bees have a refuge, local educators and children have a field site to visit and learn with hands on experience and the community has a model for pollinator sustainability. We thank all of you for your generosity and your belief in the bee pasture project.
This project began with an application to the annual Prineville Data Center Community Action Grant program. Each year Facebook offers thousands of grant dollars to applicants interested in making a difference in the community. With the announcement of the 2015 grant recipients, the honey bee pasture project was underway!
The talented Becky Shaw and her company Homeland Design volunteered to help create the conceptual design for the project. Homeland Design specializes in custom home and landscape design in Bend, Oregon. Becky donated countless hours of her time to map out the dream design of an extended season foraging garden for the honey bees. You can see more of her and her husband's work at their website: www.homelanddesignllc.com
The Kiwanis Club of Prineville served as a key partner in making sure this project happened. The organization welcomed the idea behind the project and saw the long term benefits to the Prineville community and children. The Kiwanis Club of Prineville prides itself in its motto, "a commitment to improving the quality of life for children and families in Prineville, Crook County and worldwide." The honey bee project and the overall philosophy of the Kiwanis Club made us ideal partners in this endeavor.
The Hooker Creek organization also served as a partner in this project. They donated several pieces of equipment needed to create the actual garden space. Hooker Creek's generosity helped to transform 1/4 acre of pasture into a bee oasis over the period of several months.
Thanks to the kindness and talents of Yancy Lael, the Prineville Honey Bee Haven has a beautiful website. Yancy is an educator, writer, published author and self-taught herbal healer. You can find more information about Yancy and read her work at her website: www.yancylael.com
Kristi Breese and her beautiful greenhouse Hidden Falls Garden also make the list of supporters in this project. As the greenhouse season came to a close, Kristi offered a truck load of plant starts to help with the establishment of the honey bee garden. Hidden Falls is known for their beautiful hanging baskets and plant starts. You can learn more about them on their Facebook page.
Erickson's Thriftway of Prineville and manager Jim have also donated plants this season to the honey bee garden. Jim and his crew at Thriftway remind us all of the down home community and kindness Prineville is known for.