Students concerned with a dwindling bee population gathered in the Arts Collective house on Nov. 8 to work on a solution: flower pots. The Hive and Arts Collective sponsored a pot-painting event in hopes of creating homes for travelling bumblebees.

“Bumblebees play a huge role in pollination, which is essential for our food and flowers, and for the bees themselves,” said Clara Roth ’21, a member of Arts Collective and The Hive. 

The Hive has already organized initiatives for other species of bees like the honeybee. The group has two honeybee hives on campus. Roth said this time she wanted to help a different species: the bumblebee. “Preserving all bee species and native pollinators is important because each plays a certain role,” said Roth.

Roth explained that part of the decorated pots will be underground with a layer of leaves and mesh around the base. A gardening hose will lead into the pot from the outside, where the bee will be able to fly in from the hose and build its hive inside the pot. The pots are a man-made alternative for the bees and are less likely to be disturbed or destroyed.

Roth explained that Arts Collective usually teams up with Center for Sustainability Education (CSE) to promote sustainability and environmental awareness on campus. Part of that is advocating the importance of “saving the bees.” 

Roth said people can make a difference in other ways than painting flower pots, like planting gardens or writing to legislators to reduce the use of pesticides. 

“I’m certainly happy about the turnout of the event,” said Meredith Jones ’20, an Environmental Science major and member of Arts Collective. Jones said the natural sciences tend to have an affinity for the arts and often use art as a tool for activism. She said her passion for art helps advocate sustainability and saving the bees.

Attendees were given a flower pot and paint and were encouraged to paint whatever they wanted on it. The pots will be placed around campus in the spring with the hopes of attracting bees who will use them as their new homes.