For the Bees is a new student organization on campus spreading awareness of the importance of bees in the environment. Members volunteer to spread awareness and to support beekeepers.
“Someone has to step up and do something on this campus, and I guess it should be me,” said Kressie Kornis, the founder and president of For the Bees.
Kornis said she first became aware of how important bees are from a suggested video on her YouTube feed two years ago.
After being made aware of the importance, Kornis contacted Geoffrey Williams from Auburn's entomology department, who runs the Auburn Bee Lab.
“He was a big help in teaching me everything I needed to know,” Kornis said. “So that’s why my goal is to educate others of the importance, as well. People do care, they just don’t know about it yet.”
Members of For the Bees volunteer in the Auburn Bee Lab by helping build apiaries or by painting. There is also a lot in the Auburn Community Garden that members help care for.
“The lot in the Community Garden is a big thing we are really trying to push,” said Madeleine O’Donnell, vice president of For the Bees. “We are trying to encourage people to care about and work with it.”
The organization also has fundraising efforts for beekeepers and their education program, Beeducation.
The Beeducation program visits local Auburn schools to teach kids about the environmental role of bees. Beeducation is spearheaded by Hannah Burke, the director of education at For the Bees.
“I’ve always had a lifelong passion for advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves,” Burke wrote.
Burke said she saw For the Bees as an opportunity to live by her life motto: leave things better than how you found them. She added that she saw the organization as an opportunity to both have fun and make a difference in her community.
“Coming into this, I didn’t realize how big an effect bees have on our lives,” O’Donnell said.
She said her experience with For the Bees taught her the important benefits bees provide to society.
As a part of its awareness campaign, For the Bees will be on the concourse on Aug. 29 and 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The leaders of the organization encouraged all types of students to become members, regardless of major or year.
“Anyone can take the time to learn about bees and help our community,” Kornis said. “I just think it’s an awesome extra-curricular activity that anyone can do.”
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