On Saturday, May 11th, friends and neighbors gathered in the Pendleton Heights Orchard to celebrate the installation of additional bee hives. The event also served as the perfect opportunity to enjoy some delicious treats, win some prizes, and get outside to catch up with one another now that spring has sprung.
Visitors spent time leisurely visiting with David from Bee KC, and checking out the real star of the day: the newest hive of the PH Orchard! The expansion of the number of hives we maintain translates as more pollinators in our area, and more PH honey for sale during the 2024 Orchard Festival in the fall.
When they weren't feting the bees, guests also learned about the proper use of EpiPens, thanks to volunteers from Kansas City University. Not everyone who has sensitivities to bee venom is aware of it, so we were grateful for KCU students being here to address this concern.
All attendees were free to enjoy complimentary frozen pops which were provided by our friends at Frutopia, located right here in Historic Northeast Kansas City. Fun fact: Kids were crazy for their creamy fruit pops, but the grown-ups were gobbling up the bubblegum flavor, right and left!
With Mother's Day happening the day after our Bee Hive Installation Celebration, artist Margarita Friedman set up a table to help kids of all ages create art for their moms.
The delightful appearance of a three-day-old lamb gifted us with a lovely and unexpected surprise, thanks to Amelia McDaniel. In addition to organizing the celebration, PH Green Spaces Steward Whitney Barnardo offered a fantastic photo op for mothers to remind them that when it comes to their family, they truly are the Queen Bee (artwork by neighbor Hector Casanova, Assistant Professor at the Kansas City Art Institute).
Words cannot express our gratitude for our guests, or for those who donated their time and talent to make the day so special. On that note, we'd be remiss to not blow a kiss at Yum Yum Ceramics for granting us the best raffle prize of the day- a duo of handmade planters, won by PH neighbor Hannah Arredondo. We also must express a heartfelt thank-you to the City of Kansas City, Missouri (their NTDF funding made our event possible). Last but not least-
Cheers to PH Green Spaces Steward Whitney Barnardo and Bee KC for making the dream of sustainable bee hives in Pendleton Heights a reality. Well done, friends!
