Finding places for beekeeping can be a challenge for city dwellers. But apiaries modeled after community gardens have become a popular option.
Community beekeeping operations are usually comprised of shared sites on public or private properties, organized by or for people trying to turn out fresh plants or products.
Some, like the community apiary inside The Hudson Gardens & Event Center in Littleton, Colo., also educate. Its objectives are to train, mentor and provide fellowship for hobbyist beekeepers, promote interest in beekeeping and boost plant pollination in Hudson Gardens and around the neighborhood, said Amanda Accamando, the center’s education and volunteer manager.
The apiary “brings together a dynamic and unique community of beekeepers that not only share the common goal of supporting honeybee health but also greatly value learning from one another” and spreading the word, Accamando said.
No fees are charged for the program since the beekeepers also do volunteer work. But they must provide their own equipment, protective gear and honeybees. Hudson Gardens delivers the infrastructure, funding, staffing and administrative help.