Nita Lake Lodge is proud to continue our sustainability journey with the adoption of beehives into our working rooftop garden. Our garden is an important part of our locally farmed and foraged food supply, and the addition of bees helps us to provide a sustainable source of pollination. The program is also assisting in bee research to promote a locally acclimatized bee population in Whistler, helping protect our surrounding nature.
Our beehives
Partners
Ensure Hive Future
Ensure Hive Future is a Federal Not-for-Profit Organization that conducts apiary research and education to produce mite resistant, locally adapted honey bees. This grassroots project has expanded to include locations in Vancouver, Whistler, Langley, and Vancouver Island, boasting over three seasons of experience in education, collaboration, and queen rearing. Guests are able to book on-site experience tours of our hives with the knowledgeable beekeepers at Ensure Hive Future giving education on the importance of beekeeping and the role of bees in our ecosystem.
Is there an impact on guests?
We hope that guests will enjoy knowing about our bee activity. Our hives have been carefully placed to ensure there is no guest impact from the bees unless during tours. The bees have carefully planned routes to their food sources that avoid our suites and balconies. We understand that some guests may be concerned about having bees on the property, so please read below to learn about our bee program.
FAQs
Bees have a complex navigation system with predictable zigzag routes. Our beehives have been specifically placed to allow the bees to come and go from the rooftop garden without any of the suites or balconies being in their flight path.
A lot is known about these important creatures for our ecosystem. When placing our hives we accounted for the location of surrounding flowers, including their preferences in colors and species. Bees behave in predictable patterns and have preferences for certain routes for their pollen collection. We also monitor their travel routes to ensure their behaviour is as predicted.
The hive location allows ample routes for the bees to travel away from the building, with any vertical travel happening in areas that are not accessed by guests. The closest our bees get to our balconies is 10 ft. away, with that only happening when bees coming back to hive from Creekside Gondola base on a mission to get home.
Although our bee population will not have flightpaths that cross with our guests, please don’t hesitate to contact our guest services team and we will ensure you are placed in a suitable suite away from our rooftop garden.
Ensure Hive Futures offers regular tours of our rooftop hives. The tour is a chance to learn about bees and beekeeping, get up close and personal with the hives from the safety of beekeeping suits, and a chance to bring locally produced honey from our rooftop hives.
Our Bee Program
We currently have 3 beehives in our garden for our sustainabilty goals this year.
Eco-friendly pollination.
Pollination of our working rooftop garden.
Our rooftop garden is a vital part of our locally farmed & foraged food supply at Nita Lake Lodge. From herbs and spices used in our feature cocktails, to food grown for The Den restaurant, the plants in our garden benefit from our local bee population.
Eco-friendly pollination.
Pollination of our working rooftop garden.
Our rooftop garden is a vital part of our locally farmed & foraged food supply at Nita Lake Lodge. From herbs and spices used in our feature cocktails, to food grown for The Den restaurant, the plants in our garden benefit from our local bee population.
Stewardship of our environment
Nurturing a healthy bee population in Whistler.
Bees are an important part of our ecosystem. One of the goals with our Ensure Hive Future partnership is to help nuture a bee population in Whistler that can thrive in our very specific climate. This bee population needs to be resistant to local pests and pathogens in order to continue their role in protecting Whistler's adundant nature.
Stewardship of our environment
Nurturing a healthy bee population in Whistler.
Bees are an important part of our ecosystem. One of the goals with our Ensure Hive Future partnership is to help nuture a bee population in Whistler that can thrive in our very specific climate. This bee population needs to be resistant to local pests and pathogens in order to continue their role in protecting Whistler's adundant nature.
In-house Honey!
Honey for our enjoyment.
Our beehives also produce honey which we will be using in our menu's at The Den and Cure Lounge & Patio. Guests of the beehive tour receive a jar for attending the tour too!
In-house Honey!
Honey for our enjoyment.
Our beehives also produce honey which we will be using in our menu's at The Den and Cure Lounge & Patio. Guests of the beehive tour receive a jar for attending the tour too!