Wild Bee Stewardship at the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
Pollinator habitats come in all sizes! From school gardens and backyard spaces to public parks and evolving community landscapes. Every habitat plays a role in helping wild bees and other pollinators find the food, shelter, and nesting space they need.
The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont welcomes all to experience its core values of connection, learning, and joy through nature. Its 14.74-acre site serves as a free, accessible green oasis where community, education, and conservation unite.
Discover Wild Bees Here
Wild bees do not make honey or live in large hives. They don't have a queen to defend and rarely sting. Instead, they nest alone in hollow stems, reeds, and openable bee houses—making them safe to observe and perfect for hands-on learning environments.
There are more than 4,000 bee species in the United States. Many are solitary bees that pollinate native plants, gardens, farms, and natural landscapes—helping to keep ecosystems healthy.
Raising Wild Bees Is Easier Than You Think
Most wild bees don't make honey or live in hives—and they don't require gear or special equipment. All they need are safe nesting materials, flowers to forage, and pesticide-free spaces.
Families, schools, parks, and nature programs can all help support pollinator conservation—right where they live, learn, and explore.
Fun fact: One Mason bee can pollinate as many flowers as 100 honey bees!
Why Wild Bees Matter
They pollinate more efficiently. Wild bees deposit pollen with nearly every flower visit, increasing pollination of both crops and native plants.
They support healthy ecosystems. Wild bees help plants grow, which protects soil, supports wildlife, and improves habitat diversity.
Wild bees are active for only part of the year. The rest of the time, they grow as larvae, form cocoons, and hibernate until spring or summer.
Here's a look at the Mason bee lifecycle:
You Can Help!
You don't need a large space to make an impact. Even a small garden, nature trail, or community education project can support pollinators.
- Plant native flowers that bloom across seasons.
- Leave natural stems and leaf litter for nesting.
- Avoid pesticides and herbicides that harm bees.
- Use openable nesting materials for safe annual cocoon care.
- Learn which bees live near you: Where the Wild Bees Are
Bring Mason Bees to Your Classroom!
The Crown Bees' Bee Buddies Pollinator Program is a K–12, hands-on, student-led learning experience that turns pollination into something students can see, touch, and care for. Using gentle, region-specific Mason bees, students observe the full pollination cycle right on their own campus while building a deeper connection to their local ecosystem.
Each accepted classroom receives a FREE Bee Buddies starter kit, with Mason bee cocoons, reusable wood nesting trays, and an easy-to-use mud mix. Everything is designed to be easy to manage, classroom friendly, and flexible enough to fit school schedules with no beekeeping experience required.
Through the seasons, students connect to growing food, sharing harvests, and caring for the living world just outside the classroom door. The result? Curiosity takes off, stewardship grows, and science becomes something students learn hands on!
Support Wild Bees with Purpose-Built BeeSafe™ Habitats
Bee houses installed in public gardens should do more than add visual interest. Crown Bees habitats are built to the BeeSafe™ Standard, a research-informed approach to design and materials that supports healthier solitary cavity-nesting bees while reducing pest and disease pressure. Our nesting materials and houses are made in the USA and designed for long-term stewardship, giving public gardens a reliable way to demonstrate pollinator conservation, support local bee populations, and create meaningful educational moments for visitors.
Rewild Refuge Bee House
Perfect for parks, education centers, and conservation spaces that support observation, stewardship, and habitat learning. Shop Rewild Refuge here.
DIY Build a Bee House
Great for classrooms, camps, workshops, and family learning events. Build, place, observe, and support wild bees. Shop DIY Bee House here.
About the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont: Located in Central Virginia welcomes all to experience the restorative power of nature. As a free, accessible green oasis, it combines beauty, community, and discovery in its evolving landscape. With trails, habitats, open green spaces, and hands-on exploration, the garden provides opportunities to reflect, observe, and imagine its future as a place for recreation, meditation, conservation, and connection. Free programs for all ages foster awareness, curiosity, and stewardship.
About Crown Bees: Based in Washington state, Crown Bees partners with gardens, parks, schools, and conservation groups to raise awareness and provide science-based tools for supporting wild, cavity-nesting bees. We're buzzing to be collaborating on this pollinator project.
We're Here to Help You BEE Successful
- Getting Started Guide
- BeeMail Newsletter
- If you have direct questions, email info@crownbees.com