The BAE Sustainability Committee is made up of faculty, staff, and students interested in promoting sustainability in and around Weaver Labs. The committee recently worked together to apply for and receive an NC State Sustainability grant.

How can I get involved?

The grant will fund the purchase and installation of two bee hotels and vertical gardens. The Weaver community can get involved in several ways.

  • Help in the build of vertical gardens
  • Planting in the vertical gardens
  • Maintenance and watering of the gardens
  • Monitoring of the bee hotel
A bee hotel.

What is a bee hotel?

In urban areas like NC State, bees are declining due to loss of habitat. Increased development and more manicured landscapes leave fewer fallen branches, brush and other natural elements in which bees can nest.

About 30 percent of North Carolina’s 500 types of native bees are solitary cavity-nesting bees, which means they don’t live in colonies like honey bees. Solitary bees are important pollinators. Female solitary bees build a single-occupancy nest to nurture her eggs until they hatch and begin the important work of pollination. Bee hotels provide vital habitat for North Carolina’s native bees. There are three existing hotels on campus. The bee hotel will likely not have more than a few bees in it at a time.

Vertical Gardens

Pollinator-friendly and North Carolina native plants will be planted in the vertical gardens.

In addition to the environmental benefits of the bee hotels and vertical gardens, this project will serve as an opportunity to engage the campus community, increase environmental awareness on the importance of native bees and native North Carolina plants.