Wichita was buzzing with activity one late September weekend. While downtown hosted a spirited chili cook-off and the Cotillion Ballroom showcased a custom car show, the county park was alive with the colorful revelry of the Great Plains Renaissance and Scottish Festival, drawing crowds of jesters, knights, and tavern wenches.
Yet, hundreds of locals chose a different kind of buzz: the third annual ICT Bee Fest, affectionately named after Wichita’s airport code. Held at the scenic Mid-America All-Indian Museum, where the Little Arkansas and Arkansas rivers converge, attendees explored the ecological drawbacks of traditional lawns and celebrated the vital benefits of native plants.
Festival-goers eagerly collected indigenous seeds and plants from local horticulturalists, marveled at a vibrant tent teeming with migrating monarch butterflies, and even had the chance to gently — very gently — stroke the backs of Eastern male bumblebees, reassuringly reminded that these particular bees are stingless.
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This vibrant event was spearheaded by the Grassland Groupies, a small nonprofit established by self-described ‘bug and plant nerds,’ Nicole Brown and Rachel Roth. Their mission: to champion native grasslands and pollinator habitats, and to cultivate what Ms. Roth enthusiastically terms ‘nature optimism’.
With a staggering 97% of Kansas land in private hands, and the vast majority dedicated to agriculture, the Grassland Groupies are making a tangible difference. They’ve already established 40,000 square feet of pollinator habitats in local parks and schools, with ambitious plans for more. Beyond planting, they organize engaging hikes and nature journaling sessions, encouraging people to step outdoors and connect with the wonders of the natural world.
“Nature holds an incredible sense of wonder, a connection often missing in our busy lives,” explains Ms. Roth. “Engaging with it reduces stress, and adults absolutely deserve the joy of ‘geeking out’ over even the smallest insect.”
The Groupies played a crucial role in establishing Wichita as the first Bee City USA affiliate in Kansas. This designation is part of a larger, vital mission to combat the alarming decline of native bees, moths, beetles, flies, butterflies, and other essential pollinators. Achieving Bee City USA status, a program by the Xerces Society, mandated a commitment from the Wichita City Council to expand pollinator habitats and significantly reduce pesticide use.
“In today’s chaotic world, many feel a loss of control, searching for ways to make a tangible difference,” shares Emily Judson, president of Riverside Garden, a community space that distributed native plant seeds at the Bee Fest. “You might doubt that a single seed packet can change anything. But consider this butterfly weed – a single plant can sustain hundreds of monarchs.”
The festival grounds buzzed with energy. Children, adorned in colorful butterfly masks, followed their parents. Gardeners enthusiastically purchased purple coneflower and vibrant red columbine. An inflatable bee costume bopped merrily through the crowd. A musician outside enchanted listeners with a dreamy handpan rendition of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” Inside the butterfly tent, naturalist Allan Saylor delicately tagged monarch wings to monitor their migration and survival, captivating onlookers of all ages with his precise movements.
Travis Junkins, an operations specialist with the U.S. Army Reserve, attended the festival with his family, inspired to start beekeeping after hearing Metallica’s James Hetfield discuss the hobby on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Having already cultivated native sunflowers, Mr. Junkins is now exploring additional indigenous plants to make his property even more welcoming for bees and other pollinators. “We’re constantly asking ourselves, how can we enhance our space to be more bee-friendly, more pollinator-friendly?” he remarked.
While honeybees, not indigenous to the Americas, can sometimes negatively impact native bee populations, the prevailing sentiment at ICT Bee Fest was that they can act as a “gateway bug” to broader pollinator awareness. Highlighting this, retired aeronautical engineer Roy Beckemeyer manned a booth, proudly displaying a placard detailing Kansas’s nearly 400 native bee species.
83-year-old Mr. Beckemeyer shared that his late wife had nurtured native gardens for decades, and it was after her passing last year that he truly deepened his interest in these plants and the insects they sustained. He observes a growing enthusiasm among Kansans to aid pollinators, a trend he attributes to increasing worries about climate change and the erosion of environmental safeguards. “People are finally re-engaging, hoping to play even a small role in shifting the tide,” he noted.
A significant motivator for Ms. Brown and Ms. Roth, both with backgrounds in science, to establish Grassland Groupies was the desire to openly discuss climate change.
Ms. Brown recounted experiencing resistance to candid scientific discourse in her prior roles with other environmental organizations. She even recalled one employer instructing her to avoid using the term ‘evolution’.
“Such restrictions are simply unacceptable in scientific discussions,” she asserted. “It’s impossible to genuinely talk about habitat conservation without addressing the factors that threaten it.”
Ms. Roth observed that much of the environmental advocacy in the area often centered around hunting and fishing, portraying humans merely as ‘consumers of nature.’ “Our goal was to shift this focus toward building a community that nurtures both people and the natural world simultaneously. It’s about fostering a spirit of collaboration,” she explained.
Paradoxically, the shifting climate might be strengthening their message. Last year, Kansas experienced severe drought and subsequent water restrictions. Yet, the native plants at Riverside Garden thrived and bloomed with significantly less water, a resilience that captivated many observers, according to Ms. Judson.
Even amidst political polarization, community gardens offer a unique sense of solace and unity, noted Ms. Judson. “Despite our diverse opinions, politics, and backgrounds, these spaces provide a common ground for connection,” she mused. “It’s genuinely difficult to argue when you’re surrounded by butterflies.”
As the festival wound down, attendees dispersed and vendors started packing. The monarchs were gently released from their tent, resuming their delicate migration journey. Meanwhile, the stingless Eastern bumblebees, having endured several hours of gentle human curiosity, were rewarded with a lifetime retirement at the flourishing Riverside Garden, amidst its abundant native flowering plants and their rich pollen.