When Hurricane Sandy’s surge waters attacked the Brooklyn water front, they didn’t just threaten human lives. More than two dozen hives on a pier in the Navy Yard served as the home base for NYC’s largest commercial apiary (read our profile of the apiary here), the result of years of effort and a successful $22,000 Kickstarter project by Brooklyn Grange. By the time Sandy’s waters had receded, only a few of the hives remained. Most had floated away.
But this is a tale of perseverance. One colony managed to escape their hive and someone at Brooklyn Grange quickly built a new hive to protect the survivors. “We are not sure yet if there is a queen with them, but if there is, we’re going to do everything we can to ensure they survive the winter. Hurricane Hive, we got your back,” wrote Chase Emmons, chief beekeeper. The team at the Grange is determined to rebuild their apiary and put out a call on their website for donations. Read more about Sandy’s impact on the bees here, or go ahead and donate to the rebuilding effort here.
