Big Marine Park Reserve & Honeycomb Cottage MN
Big Marine Park Reserve & Honeycomb Cottage MN
Brightening the Future by Restoring Insect Populations & Healing People
Just 3 miles north of Honeycomb Cottage MN, the Big Marine Park Reserve spans nearly 1,800 acres of protected land in May Township / Marine on St. Croix. Nestled within the greater Northeast Twin Cities Metro—from Stillwater to Afton, Lake Elmo to Hugo—this conservation landscape is one of the region’s boldest bets on ecological resilience and insect revival.
Together, Washington County Parks, the Pollinator Friendly Alliance, and active nonprofits are working to rebuild insect habitat into a mosaic of prairie plantings, oak savanna groves, beaver pond wetlands, and pollinator corridors. That’s essential because honeybees, monarchs, dragonflies, ground-nesting beetles, and even fireflies are crashing nationwide—and Big Marine is directly pushing back.
The Insect Emergency & Why It Matters
In North America, 70% of insect populations have plummeted in the last 30 years
Pollinators like bees and butterflies are vanishing faster than we can track them
Biodiverse insect life underpins everything—from crop pollination to soil health to water filtration
Big Marine isn’t just a pretty prairie patch—it’s a frontline defense against what scientists are calling an extinction crisis, one meadow at a time.
Restoration, Species by Species
Big Marine’s ongoing restoration includes:
Prairie and meadow plantings with core native species—purple coneflower, goldenrod, asters—to sustain pollinators spring through fall
Oak savanna management—thinning invasive brush, restoring oak understory for species like silk moths and dusky-blue skipper butterflies
Beaver pond reconstruction—creating amphibian and dragonfly nurseries, and enriching soil microfauna
Turtle nesting sites built into sandy slopes, supporting freshwater pond ecosystems
Integrated pest monitoring—zero-spray policy, invasive plant removal, and biological control habitat buffers
Bees, Forage & Apitherapy
Honey bees typically forage within 1–1.5 miles of their hive—that means our Honeycomb Cottage bees are regularly collecting pollen and nectar from Big Marine’s restored blooms.
The quality and diversity of forage directly improve raw honey nutritional profile and vibrational richness
The ecological work at Big Marine supports bee health on a massive scale—wax repair, immune resilience, overwintering success
When you experience apitherapy here, you’re not just receiving nervous system support—you’re connecting with bees that are actively restoring biodiversity
Education, Citizen Science & Hope
Big Marine is also becoming a hub for:
Citizen entomology—community-led insect population studies in collaboration with U of M
Kids’ insect exploration—guided bio-inventory events, butterfly counts, and native plant workshops
Pollinator roving labs—popup educational events teaching about soil, insects, and human health connections
Collaborative boardwalks—accessible trails with signage explaining water filtration, insect lifecycles, and regenerative land systems
This park is learning-land in action—and hope sits at its core.
Our Shared Mission at Honeycomb Cottage MN
We’re more than neighbors—we’re co-conspirators in ecological and somatic health. Here’s how:
We hone nervous system healing through hive resonance fed by Big Marine blooms
We elevate community awareness on insect decline—and offer an embodied experience of what healing looks like
We support volunteer/lab days, and we donate a portion of each apitherapy booking to insect-restoration efforts
The bees we keep—and the vibrations we offer—are made stronger because Big Marine is being rewilded.
A Call to Action & Invitation
Visit Big Marine Reserve—walk bluff trails, watch dragonflies, turtle-hop, and watch pollinators
Volunteer or donate to help native grass plugs, turtle tunnels, or insect surveys
Book a session at Honeycomb Cottage—feel how vibrant, buzzing ecosystems can rebalance you
Spread the word—insect health isn’t optional. Sign local petitioning, educate others, invest in pollinator planting
Our region’s strength isn’t in concrete or farms—it’s in meadows, hives, turtles, and people working together. Big Marine Park Reserve is carving a future for insects and humans alike. We’re honored to stand right at its southern border.