UHC and the Bloomindale bees

Bees on the Bloomingdale trail were honored on June 22 with the launch of the Bloomingdale Trail(er), a mobile cart made to sell their honey.

The Trail(er) was unveiled at the Sounds of the Solstice at the 606 event, a cheerful celebration for community members and local businesses to usher in Summer. The cart’s creation is the result of collaboration between UHC and generous volunteers at Omni Ecosystems, Perkins+Will, Friends of the Bloomingdale trail, and Bike a Bee.

It all started with Friends of the Bloomingdale trail, a group committed to the health and prosperity of their section of the trail. They reached out to Bike a Bee, a beekeeping project which manages hives all over the south side of Chicago, and worked with them to set up a few hives. The bees from these hives make use of all the pollen available along the trail.

This presented the question of how to sell the honey, which is where UHC, Omni Ecosystems, and Perkins+Will came in. Volunteers from all of these organizations came together to design and build a beautiful bee-inspired cart, giving friends of the bloomingdale trail a lovely way to raise funds to support their beekeeping. It features an adjustable roof; wheels and handles for easy movement; storage space for fliers, maps, brochures, and -- of course -- honey; stools for customers; and enough honeycomb print and yellow highlights to attract bee lovers for miles.

The Bloomingdale Trail(er) is a win for Chicago bees and a perfect example of what volunteering and the collaboration of local business can achieve. Make sure to watch for it next time you bike the trail.