Bryant Park Is Bringing Urban Beekeeping to Midtown

September 20, 2017

Emily Fleming, NBC New York

Humans are not the only creatures benefiting from Bryant Park’s gardens and trees. As of April, 60,000 honeybees moved into two apiaries in the northwest corner of the park.

To accompany their arrival in the park, officials put together a weekly talk series during the summer months to educate people on the benefits of urban beekeeping and the inner workings of the hive.

The program is headlined by beekeeper-in-residence Andrew Coté, of Andrew’s Honey. He has beehives in urban spaces all over the city, and
tends to them weekly throughout the year.

“Urban beekeeping is something that sweetens life in this city. It allows people to connect with nature in a way they might not be able to otherwise,” Coté said.

Urban beekeeping is also beneficial to plants and trees around the city, as honeybees will pollinate everything in a three mile radius of their hive. Coté hopes to see more programs like the one in Bryant Park emerge around the city.

“I think that beekeeping in general is a positive thing, and I think that having well managed colonies in other parks would be of great value to the community,” Coté said.

Bryant Park hopes to continue teaching patrons about urban beekeeping next spring after the bees have survived the winter months.