Heather Wood has spent 12 years building a nonprofit around saving honey bees in Olympia. Now she's written a children's book to bring that mission to the next generation.

Wood, executive director of the Urban Evergreen Bee Sanctuary, released "The Case of the Vanishing Buzz" in July 2026. The book follows a 10-year-old bee detective named Geraldine who notices something the adults around her don't: the bees in her quiet rural town are disappearing.

Aimed at readers ages 8 to 11, the story weaves real-world ecology into a mystery format, with Geraldine uncovering hidden links between land, animals, and human systems.

Wood's daughter illustrated two accompanying coloring books, one for children and one for adults, so families can color along while reading aloud.

The book is available in hardcover and Kindle on Amazon, and through direct purchase at urbanevergreenbeesanctuary.org.

A decade-plus of bee advocacy

Wood became a biodynamic beekeeper as her senior project at The Evergreen State College. She founded the Urban Evergreen Bee Sanctuary in April 2014 as a tax-exempt nonprofit dedicated to pollinator conservation, ecological education, and sustainable habitats.

The organization has hand-built 200 top bar bee hives and one Sun Hive for local communities, according to the nonprofit's profile.

The Sun Hive, designed by German sculptor Guenther Mancke, mimics a natural wild nest and looks like an upside-down straw basket. The sanctuary advocates for these natural, bee-centered methods over commercial beekeeping practices.

The nonprofit previously received a grant from the City of Olympia for a Beehive Building Marathon at Capital Vision Community Garden on Yew Avenue NE.

Education across the South Sound

Roughly 35% of global food crops rely directly on animal pollinators such as bees. Honey bees pollinate over 130 types of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Almonds depend entirely on honey bee pollination.

Wood runs an educational program called "Listening to the Bees" that she tailors for different age groups. She speaks at schools, libraries, and community events with interactive workshops explaining the importance of pollinators, according to a ThurstonTalk profile published July 12.

The sanctuary plans expanded programming, including Sun Hive-building workshops and a partnership with the NeuroStride Foundation on youth and veteran empowerment through environmental stewardship. No dates have been announced.

Residents interested in the book or programs can visit urbanevergreenbeesanctuary.org.