Neighbors Push To Save Bees In City Park Tree Before Being Cut Down
By Jamie Leary
DENVER (CBS4) - Neighbors of the City Park Golf Course say they're worried about bees that live in a tree scheduled to be chopped down.
A hive has made it's home in one of the trees slated for removal.
"I just know that there's a shortage of bees in the world, and I feel it's important to maintain those hives if we can," said Dr. Kelli Kopf.
Kopf is a neurologist with Alameda East Veterinary Clinic. She normally works with cats and dogs, but the bees presented a new animal crisis.
She was walking through the golf course when she noticed the hive 15 feet high.
As a vet and a member of the community, it's a crisis she couldn't ignore.
"We've had a lot of neighborhood discussion about hives or swarms, especially in the spring. 'Can someone get this swarm?' or you know, 'Does someone want these bees?' So I was hoping someone could help out," said Kopf.
It wasn't hard to find someone who wanted to help, but the solution was a bit more complicated.
The hive is inside of the tree trunk, and experts say it's a bad time of year to try and move the hive.
"The hives are closing down for the winter," said Jason Fuller who works with Sister Gardens.
Sister Gardens is part of Groundwork Denver. It works to provide fresh veggies and herbs to those in need.
It also has bee hives, and is willing to help remove the one at City Park Golf Course.
"If we could wait until spring, it would be the best available option," said Fuller. "If we would remove this section of the tree in the spring, we could set it next to another bee box and get them to move into a new hive."
The city said it would consider options to save the bees, including waiting until the spring to remove the hive.
There is no timeline for when the trees will be cut down, so if the bees have to be moved before the spring, there are groups willing to do what they can to save the bees.
"It's such an important issue right now. We need to know how bees operate in order to be successful farmers," said Fuller.
Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn't imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.