Did you know that Indiana is host to over 430 species of bees? Due to loss of habitat and other factors, their population numbers are rapidly falling. But, one thing residents can do to help is to give them a place to live!

Southwest Honey Co. has partnered with Wood Farms to offer a Native Bee House Making Class on Saturday, May 11 at 2pm. This event will be held in the main barn at Wood Farms, 11402 Indianapolis Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46809, the region’s largest organic hay producer. You may have also tasted Wood Farms’ natural beef and pork at Bravas, Tolon, Proximo and more restaurants throughout the Fort Wayne, Indiana area.

Southwest Honey Co. says they’ll bring all the supplies guests need to assemble, customize and decorate their very own Bee House! Event organizers say this event is best experienced in pairs, and recommend bringing a friend or mom, since it is Mother’s Day weekend. Guests of the event will have access to the sights and sounds of the farm, as well as to:

• Build a native Bee House to take home (basic kit provided). Guests may need to use a power screwdriver, screws, small nails, glue and other low-effort/ easy assembly & decoration methods.
• Customize the inside of your Bee House with many organic options that bees will love. • Decorate the outside of your Bee House with natural elements.
• Try snacks, drinks and of course local honey.
• Experience a short interactive presentation about how you can help native pollinators at home.

This Native Bee House Making Class has been designed by Southwest Honey Co. volunteer educators, Megan Ryan and Mackenzie Kneller, who have a wealth of knowledge and a passion for pollinators. This event comes complete with these experienced educators and knowledgeable volunteers to allow each guest to have an intimate, fun and enjoyable experience. Overall, this experience been designed to open the minds of adult students, bringing them outdoors and connecting them with the natural environment.

Guests 18 years or older must pre-register online at https://southwesthoney.com/education/ to attend this event at a ticket price of $35.00 per person. Tickets for the afternoon include a locally prepared Native Bee House Kit, customizable features, decorative elements & instruction. As well as a short interactive presentation, snacks, drinks and honey tasting. Proceeds go towards creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, promoting awareness of their population decline & educating the public on ways they can help. More information can be found online at southwesthoney.com or by visiting Southwest Honey Co.’s Facebook or event page: https://www.facebook.com/southwesthoneyco

Southwest Honey Co. is a volunteer-operated organization founded as an initiative to conserve our local pollinator population. On a global level, pollinators are declining; which if left unaddressed, will drastically change the world as we know it. “In response to the crisis, we strapped on our veils, slid on our gloves and began to partner with organic farmers and natural property owners in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area and began to build apiaries populated from local honey bee swarms.” Southwest Honey Co. currently provides refuge for 50 colonies in our sustainably kept, organic apiaries. It is from these hives that Southwest Honey Co. harvests raw honey and creates local handmade products. Proceeds go towards creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, promoting awareness of their population decline & educating the public on ways they can help. To date, Southwest Honey Co’s innovative conservation education programs have been host to over 3,000 students. More info: https://southwesthoney.com/