LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Students at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center joined a hands-on conservation effort on March 20, building 18 bee houses as part of a new initiative to support native pollinators in Southern Maryland.
The “Building Habitat for Native Bees” program was presented by Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and Nurture Natives, a youth-led nonprofit founded by local environmental advocate Esther Bonney. The event drew 39 students and several teachers, offering lessons on pollinators, pollination, honeybees versus solitary bees, and the lifecycle of mason bees.
The initiative was inspired by a national collaboration between Wild Ones and Crown Bees, which launched last fall and provides free “Build A Bee House” kits to Wild Ones chapters for educational outreach.
Natural Resources Management instructor Dorothy Birch, a member of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, coordinated the program at Forrest Tech as part of a SkillsUSA community service project. SkillsUSA is a national organization that supports students in career and technical education, encouraging them to develop leadership and workforce-ready skills.
Students from Birch’s class, along with those in autobody, electrical, and IT programs, built the bee houses during the event. The houses will be installed in at least nine local native gardens across the community, with students leading the effort and documenting their work for SkillsUSA competition requirements.
Bonney, who has been mentored by Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter President Marlene Smith since they met through a University of Maryland Extension 4-H project in 2022, highlighted the project’s impact on youth leadership and environmental education.
“Founding Nurture Natives has been a journey of growth—not just for me, but for the thousands of young people I’ve worked with,” Bonney said. “Through projects like Building Habitat for Native Bees, we are helping young people develop confidence, work together, and take initiative as the next generation of environmental leaders.”
The program marks a continued collaboration between Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and Nurture Natives to support native plant education, biodiversity, and community-based conservation efforts.
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