HOBY Students Build Pollinator Hotels with KACEE

There was a special kind of buzz in the air—not from bees, but from the enthusiastic HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership) students who joined us May 31, 2025 from across Kansas for a hands-on service project with a powerful environmental mission. KACEE was thrilled to host this inspiring group of young leaders as they rolled up their sleeves and got to work on an impactful—and creative—project: building pollinator hotels!

These aren’t your average hotel rooms. Each pollinator hotel is a custom-crafted habitat designed to support the many native Kansas pollinators who desperately need our help. Thanks to the incredible craftsmanship of Daniel Enfield, who built all the wooden boxes ahead of time, the students were able to focus their energy on filling them with natural materials like grasses, twigs, leaves, and pine cones—everything our winged and buzzing friends love to call home.

Before getting to work, we had a great discussion about why pollinators matter. From bees and butterflies to beetles and beyond, these small but mighty creatures play a massive role in our ecosystems and food supply. In fact, 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat exists because of a pollinator. And here in Kansas, we owe 75% of our blooming wildflowers to their hard work.

We also talked about the tough reality: seven pollinators are currently on the endangered species list. That’s why projects like this are more than just fun—they’re crucial. By creating these mini sanctuaries, students are helping to increase pollinator populations and biodiversity in their local communities.

The energy during the day was electric. Students were bursting with creativity, using the natural materials to make each pollinator hotel unique. They were thoughtful, engaged, and motivated by the knowledge that they could take what they learned and replicate it back at their own schools this coming year. It’s a ripple effect we can’t wait to see grow.

A special shout-out to Duru from HOBY, who’s been working with us to make this opportunity as exciting and meaningful as possible. With leaders like these students, the future is looking brighter—and a little more buzz-worthy—for Kansas pollinators.

We’re so proud of what was accomplished during this service day. It’s proof that when passionate young people come together with a shared purpose, incredible things can happen—for our communities, for our environment, and for the generations to come.