Capital Area Beekeepers Association (CABA)

Capital Area Beekeepers Association (CABA), a Central Pennsylvania organization with nearly 200 members, recently partnered with Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) to develop a community-friendly pollinator garden. CABA maintains several honeybee colonies in a small bee yard on HACC’s Harrisburg campus, which began as two hives in 2016. This bee yard is a valuable instructional tool to help mentor current and prospective members of CABA, as well as military veterans who receive free beekeeping education and mentoring as a result of CABA’s partnership with Hives For Heros.

In late winter of 2020, CABA volunteers began preparing the land for the pollinator garden by removing brush and debris from the area surrounding the current bee yard. The following spring, CABA members researched and developed a plan for the garden layout using pollinator-friendly plants native to Central Pennsylvania. Consideration of nectar production, growing season, soil and sunlight requirements, and plant temperament was integral to the research. The thoughtful garden design will result in a seasonal-spanning nectar flow—allowing the bees to thrive and providing beautiful foliage for visitors to enjoy throughout multiple seasons.

“As a group of honeybee advocates, we are elated to have the opportunity to not only help honeybees thrive, but also to restore this piece of land and give back to our local community,” said CABA President Gary Carns. “This project would not be possible without the passion and energy our members are directing to this initiative.”

The completed garden will allow the two-acre footprint, which was once used for a landfill, to be reclaimed and restored into an environmental beauty. Adjacent to the Harrisburg Green Belt, the garden’s location provides easy access for the community to enjoy nature and learn about the important role pollinators such as honeybees have in maintaining environmental stability. Complete with walking paths, information boards, plant identifiers, and sponsor recognition signage, the outcome of this project will offer educational benefits while also providing community members with a peaceful retreat to nature.

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