The Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the NSU Office for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving is partnering to support NSU’s sanctuary for bee habitat, which houses dozens of beehives to promote educational activities for students of all ages on campus.
Bees have a very important role in the conservation of our planet, not to mention other medicinal and economic purposes, such as pollination of crops, fruit plants, and flowers, for example. Unfortunately, these honeybee beehives and colonies are severely threatened locally, nationally, and globally. They are dying at alarming rates, at times reaching nearly 50%, from several causes including pesticides, invasive species, loss of habitat and food, and others.
The loss of honeybees can have disastrous outcomes for our food web and environmental health. This is the reason why NSU aims to teach students about environmental stewardship and raise awareness of the importance of honeybees.
Dr. Vic Shanbhag, a professor in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, volunteers his time to maintain and develop a beekeeping initiative at NSU, purchasing equipment and supplies needed to keep the students and the bees safe. He is a certified apiarist and maintains a fair amount of beehive boxes (5-10) on campus.
Shanbhag does this out of his own pocket, which is expensive and limits the educational and conservationist impact of the project.
The Halmos College of Arts & Sciences and University Advancement are collecting donations for the “Save the Bees at NSU” crowdfunding campaign. With these donations, we will be able to cover the costs of the needed supplies and expand on the education experiences for our students.
Some of the needed supplies include two (2) storage bins ($200 each), two (2) beekeeper suits ($100), five (5) additional beehive boxes ($200 each), and other supplies.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, the campaign offers wonderful incentives for all donors who donate to it by February 10 at 5:00 p.m. ET. For every $5.00 gift, NSU will email a valentine’s card to your valentine; for every $10.00 gift, we will mail them a scratch-off valentine’s card; and for every $25.00 gift, we will ship them a special bee charm pendant.
To support this initiative, please share our campaign and donate at: https://www.givecampus.com/ghlii4
Let us help the next generation to preserve our bees and our environment. Any just maybe, make some Shark honey as well.
