Westover is one of three—so far—West Virginia cities dedicated to protecting pollinators.
The buzz of bees may become a more familiar sound for Westover residents this summer—and that’s a good thing. In January, the city became one of Bee City USA’s newest affiliates, dedicated to protecting a vital part of the food growth process: our local pollinators.
The designation has been a long time coming—you could date it back to when Shawna Cross learned in 2021 that bees were against Westover city ordinances.
The bees themselves weren’t breaking any city regulations, but the physical act of beekeeping was. Cross, Westover’s Third Ward Council Member and a Realtor for Keller Williams, has kept honeybees at her Westover home since 2019. In September 2021, she received an official notice from the city that her bees were in violation of city ordinance—a shocking revelation, after a couple years of maintaining her swarm. Cross was quick to petition the violation and succeeded in creating an opportunity for at-home beekeeping within Westover. “I’m pushing my agenda on the whole city,” she jokes. “Everyone has been really supportive.”
There are a variety of bees native to West Virginia’s mountains—bumble, mining, carpenter, long-horned, squash, and sweat bees—though honeybees are a state favorite. In 2002, the honeybee was named West Virginia’s state insect in honor of the major role they play in our state’s agricultural industry. However, the beloved honey-makers and their relatives are facing decline. “Protecting our pollinators is important everywhere,” Cross says. “We need them to eat—one in every three bites of food we take requires a pollinator. Once the pollinators start to decline and become lost, the whole ecosystem will fall apart.”
Westover is taking its new distinction seriously, with efforts already underway to make the city a more pollinator-friendly place. In March, the Cheat Lake Rotary Club volunteered time with Cross and the Monongalia County Beekeepers Association for a spring clean-up of the Westover Pollinator Triangle. Cross’s real estate agency also volunteered time to plant pollinator-friendly plants near the pond at Westover City Park.
Even if you have no plans to set up a hive in your own backyard, there are still ways you can be a busy bee and follow Westover’s honey-sweet lead. “Definitely just plant some gardens.” Cross also urges residents to join in City Council meetings to see what new ideas and opportunities are coming. Simple enough tasks for the winged friends our food depends on.
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