When it comes to reducing a city’s urban ecological footprint, owners, managers and suppliers in the commercial real estate industry can be the root of significant global change. Urban apiaries have become sought-after and desirable amenities that contribute not only to a building’s environmental impact and property value but also to tenant retention and engagement. One of the simplest educational ecological initiatives you can take involves bees.

  • Greener Spaces Boost Appeal

    As individual and corporate support grows for the preservation of urban green spaces and local food ecosystems, tenants and customers have come to expect more from the buildings they set foot in. As part of your ecological strategy, urban beekeeping shows that you’re invested both in minimizing ecological impact and in reconnecting people with their natural environment. But that’s not all, by offering healthier, greener spaces, you also:

    • Contribute directly to the health and well-being of tenants;
    • Substantially increase tenant satisfaction and marketability
    • Engage with people about the importance of biodiversity and bee populations
  • Small Bees Start Big Conversations

    Urban honey bees are able to do something that no other creatures can: act as ambassadors for all beneficial insects, a unique role that opens up important conversations about both our environment and the way we produce food.

    Educational workshops and team-building activities are a powerful vehicle for education, especially when connected to a hive. After a workshop, participants become mobilized spokespeople for bees, urban beekeeping and pollinators, as well as your urban beekeeping initiative.

    “Our property teams have taken an interest in providing the hives with ideal conditions, including adding extra pollinator-friendly planters, becoming educated in urban beekeeping and hosting workshops for our customers to also learn more.”

    – Darryl Neate, Director of sustainability. Oxford Properties

  • Minimal Resources Yield Multiple Long-term Benefits

    The installation of a hive in an urban environment requires surprisingly few resources, yet brings a flood of direct and indirect benefits – notably increased social and ecological engagement and welfare.

    When building owners and managers play an active role in the implementation of innovative initiatives like urban beekeeping, they get a front-row seat to the direct impact bees can have not only on their tenants and customers, but on a whole city’s quality of life. They have an opportunity to have a role in shaping the future of their city.

    “A beekeeping project is affordable and easy to execute… The benefits are numerous and go hand-in-hand with the potential long-term impacts. Hundreds of Canadian companies are enjoying the benefits of having hives on their premises, proving that projects like these pose no problem in regards to safety or civil responsibility.”

    – Darryl Neate, Director of sustainability. Oxford Properties

  • A Connection to the Building

    Installing beehives in a workplace creates a unique way for communities to connect and collaborate. Much more than an activity, a beehive has a way not only to connect people to bees but also to the community of their building. Whether it is by following its hive’s growth online or by participating in workshops, interacting with a beehive helps to create a connection and a purpose to a building.

Get a site assessment today and let your tenant’s engagement go through the roof.  Let’s talk