Today, Second Lady Karen Pence hosted military children and their parents at the Vice President’s Residence in celebration of National Pollinator Week. Children had the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational and interactive activities.
The Second Lady read the children’s book titled, Hooray for Beekeeping! by Bobbie Kalman. Following the reading, Mrs. Pence led a tour of the pollinator garden and bee hives, and then she demonstrated a honey extraction. Then, the families participated in a garden craft and planted their own pollinator garden in a pot to take home.
“Bees and other pollinators play a critical role in our nation’s food production system,” said Mrs. Pence. “More than 100 U.S. grown crops rely on pollinators. Today’s event provided children with an up close look at what we’re doing at the Vice President’s Residence to support and grow the bee population. It was a joy to educate the next generation on the important ways to support and help pollinators stay healthy.”
There are two hives at the Vice President’s Residence with an estimated 80,000 bees between the two. The Second Lady first installed a hive at the Residence in 2017.
Honey bees and other pollinators are essential for food security and agricultural food production, with honey bees alone contributing to more than $15 billion in added crop value. The total value of U.S. honey bee products and services sold is approximately $700 million.
