Meet the BEEVO Beekeeping Society: The Longhorns Protecting Austin’s Pollinators
While most people greet bees by swatting them out of the air, eliminating a vital player in the game of life, the BEEVO Beekeeping Society is tackling the popular misconception of bees as unimportant insects through activism.
The BEEVO Beekeeping Society aims to educate, advocate for, and promote the importance of bees. BEEVO is a student-run organization at the University of Texas at Austin whose mission is to fight for a greener globe by practicing sustainable beekeeping and advocating for local pollinators. They hold a variety of events centered around environmentalism and sustainability such as waste-free picnics, landscaping events, and seminars with professional beekeepers.
Bees are responsible for roughly eighty percent of the world’s pollination which results in resources such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices, and animal feed.
Two prominent dangers bees currently face are the careless use of pesticides and an environment negatively impacted by people, both born from a lack of awareness surrounding our furry friends.
There are currently four hives on campus under BEEVO’s care, split between Top Bar and Langstroth Hives. Top Bar Hives contain horizontal frames providing easy access and minimal intrusion but limits space. Langstroth Hives contain vertical frames allowing for unlimited stacking but leads to a heavy weight load. The Beevo Beekeeping Society perform weekly hive-checks to ensure that their hives are healthy, disease and pest free, and to stay updated on the bees’ honey development.
Sireen Kenana, a member of the sustainability committee at BEEVO, says that beekeeping “ties you closer to being environmentally conscious”.
The practice of sustainable beekeeping includes providing a safe, pesticide-free, and flourishing environment for bees to create honey. Alongside the flora of Austin, the Beevo Beekeeping Society hosts a pollinator garden at UT to encourage bee pollination with plans of extension and diversification.
BEEVO’s advocacy also extends to social media campaigns, events to promote sustainability, and tabling at UT’s Jester Hall. Members sell honey products, BEEVO merchandise, and arousing interest for the bees among UT students. BEEVO’s Instagram, @beevobeekeepers, contains regular posts educating people over the importance of and threats against bees.
Photos by Connor Downs