Bats, Bees, and Butterflies

It all started with an idea

GEN2050® began partnering with Patch of Heaven Sanctuary May 2018. Based on the success of this partnership, Linda Freeman and Fred Hubbard developed a concept for the “Bats, Bees, and Butterflies Project”. In this project, GEN2050® students learn the importance of pollinators, pollinator host plants and ecosystems, as well as how to rear and care for honey bees and butterflies. Patch of Heaven Sanctuary (POHS) is a 20-acre historic estate located in Redland, Florida, designated as a wildlife preserve. POHS is dedicated to protecting and expanding the hardwood hammock forest, creating new habitats for native wildlife, and educating the community. Learn more about Patch of Heaven Sanctuary in the video below:

GEN2050® students have been engaged in:

Documenting Atala butterflies, Mexican Freetail Bats, and Florida Bonneted Bats observed at POHS.

Removing invasive plant species and plant native plant species, including plants for pollinators.

During the summer of 2019, eleven GEN2050® junior beekeepers focused on learning honey bee queen rearing techniques from tropical bee expert, Ricardo Diaz Meraz, from Honduras. Since then, students have worked to raise queen bees during the 2019-2020 school year, as well as assist with other aspects of the Bats, Bees, and Butterflies project, earning community service hours for their work.

POHS and GEN2050® Bat Ambassadors have led bat walks at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary to bring awareness to bat conservation and the efforts at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary.

In 2021, GEN2050® teamed up with Anne Haywood, 2019 National Geographic Fellow, and Patch of Heaven Sanctuary to host our first National Geographic BioBlitz focused on identifying insect species at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary.