Courtesy Photo | A honey bee feeds on Wild Bergamot, Mondarda fistulosa growing near Woodcock Creek...... read more read more
In northwestern Pennsylvania, the buzz isn’t just from boaters or picnickers – it’s from thousands of honey bees in a thriving wildflower meadow at Woodcock Creek Lake.
In 2019, Joe Arnett, a park ranger at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District (USACE) Woodcock Creek Lake, established a 2.7-acre native-wildflower plot and partnered with the Northwestern Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association (NWPBA) to oversee an apiary near the lake’s resource manager office.
The shared goal of the apiary and wildflowers at Woodcock Creek Lake is to increase local pollinator populations, their habitat, and native agricultural growth within the area. Pollinators are critical to the nation’s economy, food security, and environmental health. According to NWPBA President Cici Sweeny, the need for pollinator services within the agricultural community exceeds what native pollinators can support.
“Honey bees are not native to the U.S. – they were brought over in the early 1600s,” said Sweeny. “They’re critical to assisting farmers throughout the U.S., where different types of crops grow at different times of the year. It’s really a symbiotic relationship where honey bees get to feed on crops and those crops then result in food products for human consumption.”
USACE and the NWPBA have worked hard to educate the public about the importance of beekeeping and the impact pollinators can have on everyday life.
“We offer multiple educational events each year for the public from locations ranging from the Tom Ridge Center to local fair booths,” said Sweeny. “Connecting with children about pollinators and honey bees has been successful at Ag Safety Day events and through educational giveaways such as coloring books.”
Woodcock Creek Lake staff recently installed supplemental interpretive signage regarding local
flora and fauna throughout the project site, including signage about native plants and pollinators. Visitors can learn on the importance of native plants, what makes a plant native, how to plant native species at home, and how pollinators benefit from native vegetation.
The wildflower field features native wildflower species that provide nectar for honey bees and other pollinators, including Wild Bergamot (Mondarda fistulosa), Common Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata); Goldenrod (Solidago), and False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides).
USACE promotes an ecosystem management approach to environmental stewardship. The management philosophy promotes conservation, preservation, and restoration of the lands and waters entrusted to the Corps of Engineers, as well as lands under its regulatory authority.
The effort is part of USACE’ pollinator protection plan, a nationwide mission to develop a national strategy to promote the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other pollinating species.
Pollination occurs when pollen is transferred from the anther (pollen-producing part of the flower) of one flower to the stigma (pollen-germinating part of the flower) of the same or another flower. Germination initiates a response from the flowering plant to begin producing seeds, fruits, or vegetables, and eventually harvested for human consumption.
Nectar and pollen that bees forage from flowering plants serves as an energy source for themselves and larvae to feed on after returning to their hive. Honey bees require a reliable source of fresh water to consume, regulate hive temperatures, dilute honey, and feed their young. With Woodcock Lake’s 333-acre summer pool nearby, honey bees are not short on water.
However, honey bee populations are declining for a variety of reasons, including reduced food sources, parasites such as the Varroa mite, disease outbreaks, pesticides/fungicides, severe weather conditions, and other factors.
“As we started this endeavor about six years ago, we have struggled with higher losses than we like, but it’s not unusual for the industry,” said Charlie Vorisek, the former NWPBA president and an avid apiary volunteer.
“Replacing and restarting colonies directly affects their strength and pollination reach, so this year, replacement bees were selected with survivor- and mite-resistant genetic stock. These better genetics should equate to better winter survival and stronger spring starts.”
Backyard beekeeping and native-wildflower propagation help minimize population decline, not only in Pennsylvania but beyond. The apiary at Woodcock Creek Lake serves a greater purpose: cultivating awareness for future generations. The project highlights how small-scale efforts – whether a patch of native plants or an apiary – can ripple outward and strengthen ecosystems, local agriculture, and ultimately the food security we all rely on.
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 14:38 |
| Story ID: | 551404 |
| Location: | SAEGERTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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