The University of Guelph is expanding its pollinator health and conservation program into North America’s first one-stop shop for honey bee research, education and outreach.
The university is planning a $12-million facility aimed at helping understand the stressors affecting honey bees and other pollinators.
A recent gift from the Riviere Charitable Foundation will cover a substantial portion of the cost. A fundraising campaign has been launched to further support the initiative and raise an additional $6 million.
University of Guelph’s history for honey bee research goes back more than 120 years.
The support received so far puts the university at about the midway point of its fundraising campaign.
The university is considering locations on campus for the new facility.
It will house the existing Honey Bee Research Centre, which numbers more than 300 hives used in teaching and research. The hives produce honey (more than 28 tons sold annually), beeswax, pollen and queen bees.
