Hive Helpers is a club that aims to establish a bee garden outside of Lincoln Southwest. The club wants to raise awareness of the declining bee population and do their part to help the local bees.

“I think the club is important right now because our environment is being threatened by pollutants. It’s our job to step up and support ecological conservation,”  junior Katrina Schwensen said. “As a club we can help protect our native Nebraskan bee species.”

The club is focused on fundraising following a grant from the National Wildlife Foundation to build a garden in the back of the school.

They encourage students as well as faculty to pay attention to small things like recycling or planting their own gardens.

“I found out that the bees were becoming more and more endangered and I was concerned because I knew that was a major turning point in the environment,” junior Serena Jentz said. “So I was thinking, ‘What can I do to help?’ I figured starting with our school would be a good idea.”

In December, the Hive Helpers sold scrunchies during lunch. The scrunchies were four dollars and the profits were put toward the garden.

The club will be setting up and cleaning the greenhouse on Friday, Feb. 1 to plant seedlings in. The plants will be transferred from the greenhouse and in the garden by the springtime.

They will also potentially host an Earth Day event at Southwest. The day would be focused on conservation and the money raised could go to a grant to grow an orchard in the back of the school following the planting of the garden.

The Hive Helpers welcome all members. They have many activities involving gardening and crafts so they encourage new members to jump in and get started.

The Hive Helpers meet every Wednesday before school at 7:45 a.m. in room A107.