The Rev. Melody D. Knowles writes on Virginia Theological Seminary’s website:
Would you like some Holy Hill Honey in your tea? I never imagined I would be able to ask that question of a guest. Thanks to the work of the Cultivate VTS team, each Student, Faculty, and Staff member received a small honey bear in their mailboxes last week. Recently the Cultivate VTS team harvested honey from the bee hives on campus and they shared the sweet fruits of their labor with community members.
You might be wondering why VTS would have beehives on campus. The short answer is stewardship of the earth and its resources. Honey bees have been declining for several years. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “Honey bee pollination alone adds more than $15 billion in value to agricultural crops each year and helps ensure that our diets include ample fruits, nuts and vegetables.” Remarkable, isn’t it? The work of these tiny insects has an enormous impact. And this doesn’t count the pollination of other hard-working polinators like beetles, butterflies, birds, and bats.