Students Changing the World, One Project at a Time
Carolina students are shaping a future where people and the planet thrive together. Their collective work reflects a belief that care for pollinators is care for humanity itself.
A Living Classroom
UNC’s campus beehives serve as a hands-on experience for education, research, and sustainability, giving students the chance to learn directly from the bees themselves. The hives connect with almost every field at Carolina. All members of the Carolina Community can suit up and come to one of our free hive tours.
Honey for Hunger
In 2025, the club had its first ever honey harvest with over 200 lbs of honey. 100% of proceeds from selling campus-harvested honey will go directly toward fighting food insecurity on campus. Since bees pollinate 1/3 of all food we eat, we decided to turn the work of our bees into meals for students in need.
A Better Home for Bees
Students and staff came together to relocate and redesign UNC’s beehives, creating a safer, more sustainable, and accessible space for pollinators on campus. The new site now thrives as a lasting symbol of collaboration, resilience, and Carolina’s commitment to sustainability.
Window to the World of Bees
In collaboration with the UNC Biology department, the club manages a classroom observation hive, which offers a clear, day-to-day window into pollination. Students and visitors can watch bees forage, dance, and raise brood in real time. It sparks curiosity, teaches pollinator biology up close, and connects campus to the living system that feeds us.
Fruit for the Future
As undergraduates with only 4 years to spend at Carolina, we want to make a difference that outlasts us. We are working to incorporate fruit bushes and trees into campus landscapes that feed both people and pollinators. By integrating edible plants, we can help counter food insecurity, provide outreach about local food systems and cultivate sustainable urban settings.
The Pollinator Canopy Project
Historic trees help make Carolina one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. We seek to plant and maintain a mix of native and climate-resilient trees, creating a canopy that helps pollinators, improves air and water quality, mitigates urban heat, and enhances biodiversity across campus. Through this initiative, we work to invest in environmental resilience, campus health, and the living beauty that defines Carolina.
Student Research Collective
Students in the club will conduct research on topics like hive productivity, weather impacts on honey production, and internal hive temperature variability to advance both science and sustainability. The initiative bridges disciplines such as public health, biology, and environmental science to turn curiosity into discovery and research into impact.
UNC's Pollinator Pathways
To aid the club and the university, we are making a long-term vision for integrating pollinator health, into our campus and community environment. With recommendations for plants, practices that protect and enhance pollinator health, we hope to provide a coordinated approach to designing, maintaining, and enhancing landscapes that support pollinators while enriching human well-being.
Educating Our Future
We’re developing a youth education program that brings pollinator science to local schools and community events, teaching kids about bees, sustainability, and the environment through hands-on learning. As we expand, our goal is to make pollinator education a cornerstone of outreach across North Carolina.
Bee A Good Neighbor
Native pollinators are collapsing at alarming rates, so the club is dedicated to expanding safe, sustainable habitats for native pollinators across the UNC campus and surrounding community. By integrating bee hotels, nesting habitats, and signage into campus landscapes, the project will strengthen pollinator diversity, enhances ecological resilience, and create a sense of connection to the natural world.
