The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s (CBMM) waterfront campus now boasts an apiary garden, located next to the historic Mitchell House, thanks to the hard work of St. Michaels student and Boy Scout, Brandon Foy for his eagle scout project.
An apiary, also known as a bee yard, is a location where beehives of honey bees are kept. Foy’s project includes the apiary garden, along with an oyster shell pathway, two benches, and a kiosk, as part of his Eagle Scout Project. His project was funded through private donations and support from several local businesses.
Foy’s garden is meant to attract local bees and to raise awareness about the declining bee population. To attract bees and other pollinators, he planted perennial flowers, such as Nanho Blue butterfly bush, Belleza Dark Pink gaura, and Autumn Joy sedum. These flowers can attract a diversity of wildlife for CBMM guests to see around the garden.
Honey Bees, which not only produce honey, but are also important pollinators, have been in decline world-wide since the late 1990s.
“This project is important to me because the problem that it addresses is not brought up often enough,” Foy says. “If youth like me take the initiative and try to make this problem known, maybe others will start to listen. Without honey bees, the world we know today would be completely different.”
Foy is a senior at St. Michaels High School, with plans to study nuclear engineering or cyber operations at the United States Naval Academy. He currently holds several leadership positions. He is the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association youth leadership council representative for Maryland, an intern for congressman Andy Harris, and is a recent senior patrol leader of his Eagle Scout troop.
Congratulations, Brandon. Thank you for completing this important project!
Last year we heard of another amazing boy scout project on the Bay - 15-year-old Zachary Barnickel, along with his troop, built a replica 42-foot skipjack to serve as the new children's play area at Marshy Point Nature Center. Click here to learn more!