Staff at the Oakwood Cemetery are trying their hand at a new task: beekeeping.
Provided by Oakwood Cemetery
The 102-acre cemetery will soon be home to two bee hives, officials said this week. Honeybees are in danger due to use of pesticides. Adding them to the cemetery (35 percent of which remains undeveloped) seemed like a good way to continue strong land stewardship, said Robin Simonton, cemetery director.
“We still have a lot to learn in the cycle of the bee’s lives. However, we feel we are being good stewards to our land and helping not only our surrounding neighborhoods but also the endangered honey bees," she said.
Staff are partnering with the team at Wake Monument Co. on the project. Simonton expects honey by this fall or next summer. Proceeds from the sale of the honey will go to the Friends of Oakwood Cemetery.
About Historic Oakwood Cemetery
Incorporated in 1869, Historic Oakwood Cemetery is a nonprofit cemetery run by a board of directors that incorporates 102 acres of burial space just blocks from the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh, NC. With more than 200 years of planned space available to serve families for generations to come, the Cemetery offers a variety of burial options and purchase programs. Embracing the history of not only Raleigh, but North Carolina, Historic Oakwood Cemetery is a beautiful garden cemetery known for its upright monuments and park-like setting. For more information, please call 919.832.6077 or visit our website at www.historicoakwoodcemetery.org.