Campus Garden & Apiary

close up of sunflower with a bee sitting on it
The UNCP Campus Garden & Apiary is a thriving living laboratory supporting education, community outreach and hands-on research. Established in 2014, this 1,545 m² space continues to expand and inspire, offering students and visitors a space to connect with nature, explore sustainable practices and contribute to cutting-edge pollinator research.

Explore the Garden

The garden features a managed pollinator meadow and a high tunnel greenhouse.
9

Honey Bee Hives

40+

Raised Beds

100+

Plant Varieties

 
campus garden flower

Get Involved

The Campus Garden & Apiary is open to everyone — students, staff and community members alike.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers play a vital role in maintaining this living lab while learning about sustainability, pollinators and plant life.

What You'll Do

Volunteering in the garden can include:

  • Weeding raised beds and mowing grass

  • Planting and cultivating vegetables and flowers

  • Caring for native bee habitats and the apiary

  • Participating in citizen science projects

  • Assisting with GIS mapping and data collection

  • Watering and general garden upkeep

  • Supporting outreach events on pollinators and the environment

    flowers

Sign up on UNCP Serve

Join the Science Education Club

Love bees, gardening or STEM outreach? Join the Science Education Club! Students create and sell garden-based products like:
  • Honey
  • Honey goat milk soap
  • Beeswax candles
  • Honey sticks and lotion

Contact:

UNCP offers summer research internships for students interested in:

  • Horticulture and plant science

  • Pollinator studies and bee ecology

  • Palynology (study of pollen)

  • GIS mapping and environmental education

Students present their research each year at the PURC Symposium.

For research opportunities, reach out to these faculty advisors:

Citizen science connects community members — students, teachers and nature enthusiasts — with real-world scientific research. By participating in these projects, you’ll help gather data that contributes to pollinator conservation, plant ecology and environmental awareness.

Ongoing Projects

The Great Pumpkin Project
Track pests, pollinators and pathogens affecting gourds and squash.

The Great Sunflower Project
Observe and record pollinator visits and flower preferences to understand pollinator behavior and biodiversity.

Bumblebee Watch & Bumblebee Boosters
Photograph and document bumblebee sightings to support national conservation efforts.

Crown Bees Native Bee House Project
Build and maintain bee homes to promote habitat health for native solitary bees.

Project Budburst
Collect seasonal data on plant life cycles (leafing, flowering, fruiting) to study climate change effects.


Why It Matters

These projects are a fun, hands-on way to:

  • Learn about local ecosystems

  • Contribute to real research

  • Make a meaningful environmental impact

Whether you're taking photos of bees, building habitats or measuring bloom times, your observations are valuable to the scientific community.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers play a vital role in maintaining this living lab while learning about sustainability, pollinators and plant life.

What You'll Do

Volunteering in the garden can include:

  • Weeding raised beds and mowing grass

  • Planting and cultivating vegetables and flowers

  • Caring for native bee habitats and the apiary

  • Participating in citizen science projects

  • Assisting with GIS mapping and data collection

  • Watering and general garden upkeep

  • Supporting outreach events on pollinators and the environment

    flowers

Sign up on UNCP Serve

Join the Science Education Club

Love bees, gardening or STEM outreach? Join the Science Education Club! Students create and sell garden-based products like:
  • Honey
  • Honey goat milk soap
  • Beeswax candles
  • Honey sticks and lotion

Contact:

UNCP offers summer research internships for students interested in:

  • Horticulture and plant science

  • Pollinator studies and bee ecology

  • Palynology (study of pollen)

  • GIS mapping and environmental education

Students present their research each year at the PURC Symposium.

For research opportunities, reach out to these faculty advisors:

Citizen science connects community members — students, teachers and nature enthusiasts — with real-world scientific research. By participating in these projects, you’ll help gather data that contributes to pollinator conservation, plant ecology and environmental awareness.

Ongoing Projects

The Great Pumpkin Project
Track pests, pollinators and pathogens affecting gourds and squash.

The Great Sunflower Project
Observe and record pollinator visits and flower preferences to understand pollinator behavior and biodiversity.

Bumblebee Watch & Bumblebee Boosters
Photograph and document bumblebee sightings to support national conservation efforts.

Crown Bees Native Bee House Project
Build and maintain bee homes to promote habitat health for native solitary bees.

Project Budburst
Collect seasonal data on plant life cycles (leafing, flowering, fruiting) to study climate change effects.


Why It Matters

These projects are a fun, hands-on way to:

  • Learn about local ecosystems

  • Contribute to real research

  • Make a meaningful environmental impact

Whether you're taking photos of bees, building habitats or measuring bloom times, your observations are valuable to the scientific community.

 

 

Outreach & Field Trips

We take our Bee Outreach Booth to local events to teach the community about pollinators, honey production and native ecology.

To request a school visit or outreach booth, contact:

Email Us
UNCP student with bees

 

A beekeeper checks a bee containerPlay Video