“Sustainability is more than improving fuel economy and reducing waste,” said Kim Pittel, Ford group vice president, sustainability, environment and safety engineering. “It’s about improving the environment we live in for all, and that includes honeybees, pollinators and the ecosystems that depend on them.”
According to the nonprofit, Pollinator Partnership, honeybees are essential to the world’s food supply and they need help.
Ford employees who initiated the program will serve as beekeepers managing the hives. This effort builds on Ford’s beekeeping initiative at the historic Rouge factory in 2016.
Adding a creative flourish to the installation, the hives the bees reside in will be beautified by special hive shells imagined by Ford’s own designers, who participated in the unique competition.
Over a dozen design concepts were submitted, spanning a variety of formats and employing numerous materials ranging from wood, plant matter, acrylic, ceramics, mill foam, fiberglass and metal. In the end, the concept of Chris Westfall, a designer of vehicle interiors, was chosen for its overall benefits to colony health. Titled, “Honeycomb Sail,” the design features two sails that wrap around each hive to provide space safe from the elements.
Published in the December 2018 Edition