(WSVN) - Most people think government is just about politics, but one South Florida city is on a mission to show residents the sweeter side of local government and they’re enlisting the help of some of their smallest but busiest residents! 7’s Brandon Beyer has the buzz on the beach.
Everyone is hard at work at City Hall in Deerfield Beach… but the work doesn’t stop inside city offices.
This is one of the bizzzziest spots in the city.
Hillary Marshall, City of Deerfield Beach: “When we got this idea to install the beehive, I thought it was a little crazy at first. I was really nervous when we first got involved.”
But now Hillary Marshall is all in!
She heads up the city’s sustainable management projects.
Hillary Marshall: “It’s really cool! It’s really, really interesting. I think that’s the best part about the environment, is that there’s so many different things happening in the environment and you don’t realize it but it’s what keeps us going.”
The hive takes up a small area here on city property behind the recycling center but don’t let the size fool you. These little bees serve a big purpose as environmental ambassadors for the city.
Hillary Marshall: “To be a role model for the community and educate our residents.”
Adrian Perez, beekeeper: “They provide the transportation of pollen from plant to plant in order to feed the ground, which feeds the insects, which feeds the birds. It’s like a never-ending cycle and this is one of the most important keys of that cycle.”
For Adrian, the bearded beekeeper, bees are more than his job. They’re his life!
Adrian Perez: “Yeah, I’m like really into my bees. I love my bees.”
He loves them so much. He’s donating his time to care for the bees. The only thing he wants in return is for people to respect and learn from them.
Adrian Perez: “It’s a great way to show the community the importance of pollinators and to educate the community about honeybees.”
The hive cost $700 but the city says the bees will have their debt paid off quickly with some sweet rewards!
Hillary Marshall: “Eventually we’d like to start bottling the honey that is produced by this hive. We can start bringing school groups and community groups in to teach them about bee keeping and teach them about why bees are important and eventually we would like to grow and have more hives.”
But for now… this hive is creating quite the buzz on the beach.
The beehive is just one of several sustainability projects the City of Deerfield Beach is working on. To learn more go to http://www.deerfield-beach.com/
In Deerfield Beach, Brandon Beyer, 7News.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.