Profile of a Leader: Emily Huffstetler, the Busy Bee

Emily Huffstetler wants you to know that there is a blue bee nicknamed BOB. As the founder of a bee conservation nonprofit, Emily is a walking encyclopedia of bee facts that reflect the charm and necessity of this vulnerable insect. Not all of them are as whimsical as the story of the Blue Orchard Bee, however— some are more sobering. Emily explained that many bee species, which are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat, are experiencing a sharp decline. "It's really an issue that affects everyone."

Emily's conservation journey began as a Girl Scouts gold award project when she was 15. The Tennessee native slowly grew the project through community collaborations with local schools, festivals, and nursing homes. Eventually requiring more structure for her burgeoning organization, she established the nonprofit Build for Bees in 2021.

Build for Bees strives to protect bees through education and habitat restoration. Its main focus is the mason bee, known for being solitary, gentle, and a highly effective pollinator. The organization offers online educational resources and leads workshops and mason bee house installations.

When we met virtually via FaceTime, Emily was eloquent and intelligent; passionate but not naive. She tacitly acknowledged that some may not understand why she works tirelessly to save a creature often dismissed as a sting-wielding nuisance. As she noted rather philosophically, even those who want to save bees sometimes fear them. Emily senses this skepticism most acutely during funding competitions, when she has just a few minutes to demonstrate why her initiative matters.

As an organization tackling a concern that is sometimes perceived as niche, Build for Bees has to be inventive when answering the question why bees? Emily admits that it can be difficult to follow a presentation about dire humanitarian concerns with an antenna headband and a hopeful smile. Luckily, mason bee workshops serve as compelling tools of persuasion, immersing participants in the insects' enchanting world. As Emily remarked, "This is a way for people to see how gentle they are and to make a new friend." Her techniques have been successful— at one such funding competition, Build for Bees raked in an impressive $11.5k.

As I combed through Build for Bees' website and Instagram, one feature that interested me was its inclusivity. The organization is bilingual, a result of Emily's own extensive study of Spanish. While living in Spain, Emily discovered that it can be difficult to connect to issues in one's second language. In addition to supporting Spanish-speakers, Build for Bees has a varied leadership board of "students, teachers, scientists, parents, educators, gardeners, and creatives" of all ages.

Like other small initiatives, Build for Bees benefits from an intergenerational coalition of volunteers united by a common mission. When I asked why she valued diversity, Emily expressed her desire for every individual to feel personally connected to the cause.

Emily has big dreams for the future of Build for Bees. The organization recently released a call for mason bee workshops in every U.S. state, an effort that will be spearheaded by ambassadors who promote the organization. She notes that her programs, which are age specific and aligned with the North American Association for Environmental Education Standards for Excellence, are versatile and can work as a school club or even integrated into the classroom. In bringing workshops directly to students, Emily hopes to make conservation work more approachable.

Emily revealed that because she cares so deeply about her cause, it can be difficult to find time to rest. After all, she observed, the more time one spends with an issue, the more grim it appears. So now, guided by the question "what am I doing that someone else could be doing as well as me?" she has begun preparing individuals to teach their own workshops through the Build for Bees internship program.

Outside of her leadership, Emily enjoys nourishing her mind and practicing self-improvement. During her undergraduate studies, Emily earned an impressive triple major in writing communication, design, and Spanish. Now, she is pursuing a master's of science in conservation education. She also recently completed a seven-month intensive Spanish course.

Emily finds inspiration through spending time in nature, making art, and taking long walks. ("Probably too long," she quipped.) She also loves being exposed to new ideas on platforms like MasterClass and writing poetic prose, which she describes as "short stories that distill something complex into just a few words."

If you're interested in following Emily's work, check out Build for Bees on Instagram @buildforbees or visit build4bees.com.