Detroit Hives: 10 years since a $1,600 pitch at Detroit Soup
DETROIT. Detroit Hives turns 10 this year. Timothy Jackson and Nicole Lindsey started it in 2016 with $1,600 and no beekeeping experience, after pitching the idea at a Detroit Soup dinner. The nonprofit now runs 38 locations across Michigan and beyond, with three full-time staff and a volunteer network.
The group has documented 465 native bee species in the city and helped make Detroit a certified Bee City USA affiliate in 2024. It runs tours and school visits, and works with businesses and the city to restore habitat on vacant lots.
Jackson and Lindsey want 60 or more locations within five years, plus the city's first education center for pollinators. Both grew up in Detroit and plan to stay.
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