CREJ

Page 18 — Property Management Quarterly — July 2021 www.crej.com Sustainability I n 2019, Earth Watch Insti- tute named the bee the most important living being on Earth in recognition of all that honeybees do for the human species. It’s well understood that around 30% of food the average person eats is pollinated by honey- bees. Stated differently, this means that one out of every three bites of food the average human eats is pollinated by a bee. Honeybees pol- linate more than 100 commonly consumed crops and contribute over $15 billion to the U.S. econo- my annually. It’s also well understood that, since 2008, each year we have consistently lost between 40% and 50% of our domes- ticated and wild bee colonies in the United States. This is due to climate change, disease, use of pesticides and insecticides, and a lack of tra- ditional forage. Honeybees and other pollinators’ plight isn’t fully human caused, yet it’s safe to say that we have played a large role in their declining populations. In the past, the most common practice has been for bee- keepers to profit from the honey- bee population by placing hundreds and sometimes even thousands of hives on a small patch of land, not because it’s better for the bees but because it’s easier on the beekeeper. We developed a “distributed apiary” along the Front Range of Colorado. By offering a corporate beekeeping service, companies, building owners and property man- agers have the opportunity to be socially responsible by contribut- ing to something much larger than themselves. By placing beehive colonies on commercial properties, we promote little to no competition between our hives while still allow- ing them to pollinate our local community. One bee from a single hive is able to travel 2½ miles from its home, creating a beneficial impact to an area just over 12,500 acres of land. By participating, building owners and managers make their buildings more interesting and differenti- ate themselves from other, similar properties. Employees who work in these buildings appreciate the demonstration of social respon- sibility and typically are more productive for the companies that inhabit the buildings. We have found companies and building representatives to be very interested in receiving their honey back, most oftentimes in branded glass bottles. For example, we will extract and bottle the honey gener- ated from the hives so that clients can give raw Colorado honey to their tenants, vendors and custom- ers. Raw honey hasn’t been heated or pasteurized, and it contains nat- ural vitamins, enzymes, powerful antioxidants and other important nutrients. Raw honey has anti- bacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, and promotes digestive health. Raw, local honey also con- tains a blend of local pollen, which can strengthen a person’s immune system and reduce pollen allergy symptoms. As the market grows and build- ing owners and property managers look for ways to make their assets more interesting, urban and corpo- rate beekeeping grows in popular- ity. For those owners and managers looking for a practical, cost-effec- tive way to incorporate sustainabil- ity into their properties, beekeep- ing can be an excellent amenity. Buildings with honeybees increase property values, can contribute to green building cer- tifications, command higher rent premiums, increase occupancy, lower churn and provide healthy and attractive work environments for employees and tenants – all of which make properties more attractive and enhance the asset. s david@freerangebeehives.com sam@freerangebeehives.com The bee’s knees: Corporate beekeeping services David Mathias Co-founder/ owner, Free Range Beehives LLC Samuel Mathias Co-founder, Free Range Beehives By offering a corporate beekeeping service, companies, building owners and property managers have the opportunity to be socially responsible by contributing to something larger than themselves.