When I was in seventh grade, my science teacher handed me a special book; “50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save The Earth.” I was spellbound. I ran home and immediately filled a 2-liter with rocks and plunged it into my family’s toilet tank, thus saving numerous gallons of water.
Shortly after, I pitched my school’s principal the idea of starting a Recycling Club and I recruited three other students to join. With their help and armed with a book I felt was bigger than Vanilla Ice’s hair at the time, we successfully started the first all-district recycling program in Lancaster City Schools!
That was the beginning of my love for Planet Earth and my commitment to help save her, which has led me here!
WHO'S THIS GIRL?
Hi! I'm Heather Waits, your new QUEEN BEE here at Bee Mission!
For the past two decades, I’ve had the honor of running my own florist company, which, if you think about it, what better career route than to work with Mother Nature's original gift to the Earth?!?! I made sure we reduced single-use plastic and brought in supplies that are recycled, recyclable, and even compostable! We often hosted vase drives and used the donated vases for arrangements, keeping them out of the landfills (and our customer's cabinets, ha ha ha).
Then came my love of bees...learning so much about flowers also taught me a great deal about pollination and our need for the bees. For years I have shared info with others, donated money and worn clothing promoting the conservation of bees.
I've always admired Lady Bird Johnson, who in the 1970's had a mission to beautify our nation's highways with wildflowers. Carrying on this idea has always been a goal of mine and now with Bee Mission, I will make it happen AND save the bees!!
If you're wondering what happened and how I came to be the new head of Bee Mission, I'll tell you! The previous guys loved this company and its mission; however, health problems plagued one of them and became too much. I expressed my passion for bees and desire to carry on the mission and as of January 1st, I became the new head of Bee Mission!
THE FUTURE OF BEE MISSION
Our mission will always focus on bee and pollinator conservation.
Each month I will select an organization to donate funds we've raised via website sales. In March 2023, it was 1% For The Planet. In April 2023, The Bee Conservancy. May and June will be The Bee Girl, a fantastic youth-driven program teaching our kids about bees--and we have a custom-made necklace I designed specifically for The Bee Girl!
In March and April, customers received packets of wildflower seeds to sprinkle in their yards with every purchase. I'm learning how to make seed paper and hope to include handmade seed paper with future orders.
My vision is to expand the jewelry offerings (which you hopefully have already noticed) as well as offer bee-themed merch such as stainless-steel water bottles, T-shirts and notebooks with designs I've created myself.
Yes, Bee Mission is a for-profit company and we do have bills to pay, but after that the funds are used for educational purposes, events and donated to organizations who support pollinators.
Next, you'll get to be more involved with forming events all over the US to promote planting wildflowers as well as bee and pollinator conservation. We're going to create a community of passionate bee-lovers!
You can follow along on Facebook and Instagram to see who we are supporting and what we are up to. And if you have a question, shoot it to me in instagram and I'll respond!
I am excited for this new adventure and for all the goodness it will bring. Thank you for coming along and being a part of the mission!
~Heather