Douglas Bees and Planting Hope Apiary

To the left of the Greenhouse up a small hill is the Douglas Bees and Planting Hope Apiary.

Please be advised that this apiary is currently active with live bees. If you are allergic, we ask that you please skip this stop on the tour. You can also feel free to listen at a distance that is comfortable to you.

Now, scroll down the page and listen to the backstory and context section to learn more about this location.

The Planting Hope Apiary was created in 2015 by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Veteran Beekeeper Program. It was started as a mentoring and therapeutic program for Delaware veterans. Beekeeping has been found to be calming and therapeutic for veterans, especially those with PTSD.

Veteran Ron Hazlett served as the first official beekeeper. Under his leadership, the apiary grew and thrived. At present, local Delaware beekeeper Duane Douglas of Douglas Bees Apiary runs the site.

Douglas maintains Planting Hope as a teaching apiary in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Agriculture and Delaware Beekeepers Association. You can purchase honey and beeswax candles at the Greenhouse through Bright Spot Farms or online at douglasbeesapiary.com.

The apiary was originally located opposite of the Spiral Cemetery. It was moved to its current position adjacent to Bright Spot Farms to further expand the Indigent Burial Program burial grounds. To learn more about the cemeteries and potters’ fields on campus, make sure to visit the Spiral Cemetery.

Now, let’s continue our journey, pausing again until we reach the Greenhouse. You will find the Greenhouse at the first bend in the road along Debnam Drive. There is a sign indicting its location at the bend in the road.