LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The students were installing a bee house May 6 at the St. Mary’s County Animal Shelter as part of the “Building Habitat for Native Bees” initiative. Students in the Natural Resources Management program at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center are building 18 bee houses for nine gardens across Southern Maryland.
Shovels in hand, three students began digging amidst violet columbine blossoms—native plants they had nurtured all spring.
“Three people, don’t injure each other, make it work,” their instructor called out. Nearby, other students weeded. They munched on wood sorrel, tart and lemony on the tongue.
The project is led by Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and supported by Monarch Joint Venture and the U.S. Forest Service International Programs. Instructor Dorothy Birch, a Wild Ones member, coordinated the program as part of a SkillsUSA community service project. SkillsUSA is a national organization that supports students in career and technical education.
“Bees as pollinators are keystone species within the environment—not only in that they pollinate, but also that they are bottom of the food chain. So they’re food, right?” Birch said.
“You’ve got to support not just one or two animals, but everything from the ground up.”
“Now they know how to build an ecosystem,” she added.
The students have hauled more than 100 wheelbarrow loads of compost and mulch and planted more than 500 natives throughout the school year, according to the Southern Maryland Audubon Society. They installed a native garden at the shelter in 2024.
“It is amazing how much people love it,” said shelter operations supervisor Tina James. “I routinely see people stop, look around, read the plant labels, so it’s making an impact.”
Forrest Tech students have worked with Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay for three years, said chapter president Marlene Smith.
“We started with plantings at the Leonardtown Library, then expanded to winter sowing, seed cleaning and now bee houses,” Smith said. “This just naturally grew from our relationship with them.”
The houses, stacked with reeds, are designed for mason bees—docile, solitary pollinators. Dave Hunter, founder of Crown Bees and supplier for the program, emphasized the value of student-led conservation.
“A kid who hammers the nails in will care more,” Hunter said. “We could have given you beautiful cedar houses, but what’s fun is making something with a purpose.”
Students hammered in stakes, sorted soil into buckets for backfill and positioned the house southeast to catch the morning sun.
Selene Ellis, one of the student participants, said the program helped her clarify her career goals to pursue wildlife rehabilitation.
To populate the new bee homes, students brought hibernating bees with them. Birch said they’ve been keeping the bees chilled in the fridge.
Students Jacue Baldwin, Alden Hepp, Kenny Long and Ellis led the shelter installation, which followed a similar effort by local Girl Scouts, who built a bat house for the site.
“This class, particularly this year, has really been fantastic with project-based learning,” said Birch. “They’re not just learning about making the difference. They are making the difference.”
Mason bees pollinate 95% of the flowers they visit, compared to honeybees at 5%, Hunter said. “My biggest competitor is ignorance,” he added.
Smith said native bees face a habitat crisis due to the loss of native vegetation. She encouraged the public to think differently about spring garden cleanups.
“If you can leave 12 to 24 inches of stems, you’re providing vital habitat,” she said. “Even if you’re a vegetable gardener—if you plant a few native plants, you’ll attract pollinators and increase your crop yield.”
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
Does pressure treated wood contain chemicals harmful to bees ?
answer ->Yes, pressure-treated wood does contain chemicals that can be harmful to bees. The chemicals used in pressure treatment are designed to protect the wood from rot and insects, but some of these chemicals can leach out of the wood and into the environment, potentially impacting bee health.
the public-facing I heart gaslighting shirt is absolutely based