One Hive Foundation Awards over $1.7 Million to Support Pollinator Recovery Efforts in Vermont

The One Hive Foundation, a Vermont-based private foundation, has announced over $1.7 million in grants to support urgent pollinator conservation work.

BURLINGTON, VT, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the wake of devastating honey bee losses nationwide and increasing threats to native pollinators, the One Hive Foundation, a Vermont-based private foundation, has announced over $1.7 million in grants to support urgent pollinator conservation work across the state.

This landmark investment, awarded to 10 organizations for projects spanning one to three years, represents a major step forward for pollinator recovery in Vermont and beyond. The funded initiatives focus on key areas identified by the Vermont Pollinator Working Group, including pesticide reduction, habitat restoration, and expanding pollinator education statewide.

The grants come amid alarming national reports of severe honey bee colony losses. In early 2025, commercial beekeepers across the U.S. reported an average loss of 62%, a figure well above historical norms and one that could have serious consequences for U.S. agriculture. In Vermont, data from the previous season (2023–2024) showed that commercial stationary beekeepers lost over a third of their colonies. As warmer weather arrives and beekeepers begin assessing winter survival, experts are bracing for what this season’s reports may reveal.

“Pollinators are essential to the health of Vermont’s ecosystems and agriculture,” said Gioia Perugini, Philanthropic Advisor to the One Hive Foundation and Director of Philanthropic Services at Hemenway & Barnes LLP. “This level of loss is deeply concerning, and the Foundation feels it is critical to accelerate investment of its private philanthropic resources in science-backed, collaborative solutions represented by these grants.”

The urgency is underscored by a 2022 study from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, which identified 55 of Vermont’s 350 native bee species as being in urgent need of conservation action.

To confront these challenges, the Vermont Pollinator Working Group was launched in 2022, with funding from a University of Vermont Gund Institute Apis Fund award and matching funds from the One Hive Foundation. This collaborative group now includes over 30 organizations, agencies, and businesses working together to protect pollinators from Vermont’s farms to its forests.

“Thanks to the incredible collaboration and coordination from the Pollinator Working Group, the One Hive Foundation was able to identify the highest-impact projects to support,” said Spencer Hardy of Vermont Center for Ecostudies and co-founder of the Vermont Pollinator Working Group. “This is a huge win for Vermont’s pollinators—and for the farmers, gardeners, and ecosystems that depend on them.”

Funded projects range from statewide efforts to curb pesticide use and promote pollinator-friendly farming practices, to community-led habitat restoration and youth education programs designed to inspire the next generation of pollinator stewards.

The One Hive Foundation’s grants mark a significant milestone in Vermont’s efforts to respond swiftly to the pollinator crisis—and set an example for other states facing similar challenges.

About the One Hive Foundation:
The One Hive Foundation is a Vermont-based private foundation dedicated to supporting pollinator health, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture nationwide. Through grantmaking and partnerships, the Foundation works to ensure a thriving future for pollinators and the ecosystems that depend on them. To learn more about current and past grantees, visit onehivefoundation.org.

Gioia C. Perugini
Director of Philanthropic Services | Hemenway & Barnes LLP
gperugini@hembar.com
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