This story is amazing and one that should inspire each and every one of us to do something in our local community!

Detroit natives Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey are making use of vacant lots in the city and decided that they would be perfect not only for raising bees and harvesting honey but for involving locals and teaching people young and old just how to do it!

They started the non-profit Detroit Hives and began purchasing the vacant lots. They are being repurposed into fully functioning bee farms.

photo via: Detroit Hives

photo via: Detroit Hives

photo via: Detroit Hives

Because of Them We Can wrote:

Their first order of business was to become certified beekeepers, which they did by completing classes offered by “Green Toe Gardens” and “Keep Growing Detroit.” They purchased their first plot of vacant land with the help of the Detroit Land Bank Authority for $340. “The land bank offers a community partnership program for nonprofits and faith-based organizations to purchase structures or vacant land from the land bank to put back to productive use,” Darnell Adams, director of inventory at the land bank, told HuffPost.

In addition to raising honeybees, Detroit Hives is also committed to spreading awareness about bees and the countless benefits of honey via visits to local schools and community tours of their bee farm. They have also begun to sell their honey to local artisans to be used in locally crafted beers and sauces. Their tagline of “Work Hard, Stay Bumble” is a creative testament to not only their drive and vision for “Detroit Hives,” but also for the very busy bees who work countless hours in their respective roles to create their signature honey.

“We’re hustlers, innovators and thinkers,” Paule said. “Bees work really hard, and they’re humble. In Detroit, you have to work hard and be humble. It’ll take you far.” For more information about Detroit Hives, visit: www.detroithives.com.

Read the full story on Because of them we can here.