HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County is awarding over $30,000 in grant funding to nine local nonprofits focused on environmental sustainability.
One project that received a grant brings beehives to Highland Springs High School.
The funding is made possible through the county's Heart Community Impact Grants.
The $30,000 allocation is more than double the amount awarded in 2025.
There are only two requirements for the grant: the organization must be a nonprofit, and they must be doing work related to environmental sustainability.
"We want those in our community, particularly our nonprofit partners, to be able to do great work and support and help the environment just like we’re trying to do," said Henrico County Sustainability Director Sam Hudson. "We have just been blown away by the applications that we’ve gotten in and we’re just so inspired."
One of the recipients is the East Richmond Bee Keepers Association (ERBA), which received $4,000.
Over Spring Break, ERBA Vice President Jessica Siokan installed box beehives at Highland Springs High School in eastern Henrico County.
Soon, the organization will install a pollination garden right beside the hives.
"We kind of put our heads together and figured out the location… and we got word in February that we were being awarded $4,000," Siokan said. "We’re still a growing organization, we have limited funds, and we would not have been able to do a garden to this caliber without the grant we received."
Siokan says the bees at Highland Springs will benefit the county twofold by supporting the growth of local flower crops and by providing hands-on learning in and out of the classroom.
"Pollinators in general are really really important. They are important for our food supply, all kinds of various reasons. High school seemed like a natural fit," Siokan said. "Teaching them the real basics and helping them imagine the different ways they can incorporate bees into their curriculum."
Hudson says the county believes in giving like-minded nonprofits promoting sustainability their flowers. As the county's sustainability director, his office is often found outdoors.
"Last week my hands were in the dirt planting trees several days of the week because we had a very large tree planting," Hudson said. "I couldn’t dream of doing a more incredible job."
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