University of Minnesota Bee Squad Bee Veterans Project

Bee Veterans- Past, Present and Future

Bee Veterans was founded in honor of Veteran and beekeeper Michael Roche. His strong belief in the therapeutic benefits of beekeeping for returning Veterans inspires us to provide the materials and training necessary to make beekeeping an integral part of Veterans’ lives.  Founded in 2015, we have already made great progress in supporting Veterans with beekeeping. You can help us grow our Bee Veterans program with your support on Give to the Max Day.

Here is a summary of our program progress and future vision:

2015  

In a partnership of the UMN Bee Squad and the Metropolitan Airports Commission, Bee Veterans Apiary was established at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. 

2016-19  

Veterans, Bee Squad team members, and volunteers from the public came together to bring Veterans and their families:

One-time honey bee colony encounters.

Free, hands on beekeeping mentoring classes throughout the season (May through October).

One-on-one informational sessions to discuss potential physical modifications for management.

A pollinator garden that supports all bees and beneficial insects. 

Bee Veterans classes in Rochester, Minnesota.

2020

Our goal is to grow Bee Veterans and bring programming to more Veterans across Minnesota.  We plan on achieving this goal by: 

Raising funds to support more Bee Veterans classes.

Collaborating with Hobby Beekeeper groups in greater Minnesota to create sustainable models for satellite Bee Veterans programs (ie, train the trainer models). 

Exploring modifications in hive equipment and management techniques for disabled Veterans.

Expanding access to our hands on mentoring program at the Bee Veterans MSP Airport Apiary by adding additional class days in 2020.

Sharing resources with other Beekeeping-Veterans programs across the United States.

Work with psychologists to develop preliminary surveys to begin exploring the potential therapeutic benefits of beekeeping.