Go Worker Bees!: The Beehive's Work Party is in Full Swing!

With over 50 new volunteers from across the country and beyond joining our dozen hard-workin' volunteer Bees this month, we've already made amazing progress on a bunch of hands-on community projects in our hometown of Machias, Maine.

Most visible and exciting is our demolition and reconstruction of the under-utilized, rotted-out dance floor in the middle of Bad Little Falls Park, already well under way! This project is a gift from the Beehive Collective to the town of Machias, and we are actively fundraising to help cover the mounting costs of making this epic stage a magical setting for this year's Blackfly Ball... and beyond.

If you can donate to this cause, please visit our Kickstarter Campaign! You can also give us cash or check donations at our house (101 court street in Machias), at the Machias Valley Grange & Cultural Center (1 Elm Street) or one of the donation stations at (list the places that you can donate at). Project collaborators include the Machias Rotary Club and Viking Lumber, which is generously providing lumber at cost.

***

We're also doing our best to remove the lead from our historic residence, the Clark Perry house. Lead paint is hazardous to everyone, so we're working hard to remove it and replace it with lead-free house paint. It's a little grueling, but really crucial to maintaining this beautiful historic building for years to come.

***

Many folks come to the Beehive eager to put their artistic skills to use. A handful of our volunteers are working with the Downeast Coastal Conservancy to design and craft a Puppet Theatre stage and skits that highlight local ecology and biodiversity. The set will have an art nouveau theme, and the skits will highlight local stories to be performed at the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival!

***

Away from Machias, the Beehive is best known for our anti-copyright storytelling graphics that use cartoons of plants & animals to tell stories from communities on the frontlines of resource extraction, globalization, and climate change. After the workday is done, we make sure to share this work with our volunteers through evening workshops and events!