Liberia Apiary Buzz

Liberia Apiary Buzz. 1825 - present. , What are these colorful boxes behind the fence? Do you hear the buzzing sound? You are looking at an apiary , a home for honey bees! These tiny insects do the hard work of pollinating plants. They are critical to creating a healthy landscape and are one of the many interesting features found on the grounds of Liberia. The Liberia Apiary has its roots in a 2019 project led by Council Member Theresa Coates Ellis, a Master Gardener and hobby beekeeper, to make Manassas a Bee City USA and bring awarenss to the importance of cultivating native plants to save declining populations of pollinators. These efforts paid off, and in 2021 City Council passed a resolution making Manassas the first Bee City USA city in Northern Virginia., This apiary and native garden were installed in 2021. The painted beehives were created by the community during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The apiary is managed by George Ellis, a hobby beekeeper, with the help of other local beekeepers. The excess honey made by these bees is wildflower honey and is available at the annual Manassas Bee Festival., [Sidebar:] , The land you are standing on was once part of a large farm called Liberia. Owned by the Weir Family, their property encompassed over 2,000 acres of fields and forests, with hundreds of acres dedicated to growing corn, wheat, and oats. These crops depending on polinators such as bees and butterfiles to thrive. The Weir Family and the enslaved persons who lived here benefitted from these pollinators that helepd insure a successful crop year after year., [Captions:] , These images show beekeeping, native plants, and active bee boxes at Liberia House and Grounds. , , Manassas Museum Collection, George Ellis checks on the health of a beehive at the Liberia House and Grounds (top left)., Theresa Coates Ellis and George Ellis sponsor the apiary and educate the community about the importance of planting native plants and saving our pollinators by protecting their habitats (bottom left)., Increasing native plants benefits our declining pollinators (top right)., The annaual Manassas Bee Festival was launched in 2021 as a Bee City USA event. It is now one of the most popular festivals in Northern Virginia (bottom right).