Social Impact & Volunteering

Cadence Harvests Leafcutter Bees at the Bis-BEE Campus

Jul 22, 2024 11:30 AM ET
A bee on a plant with small purple flowers.
#nm-foodshed
Excerpt "OpenEye, Cadence Molecular Sciences Northern New Mexico Foodshed Initiative 2022."
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Cadence Molecular Sciences (OpenEye)—a business unit of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. recently opened a new facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to housing over 100 employees, the campus exterior has 3 leafcutter bee homes, sponsored by the Northern New Mexico Foodshed Initiative (#nm-foodshed).

As featured in the Cadence 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report (Page 61), the #nm-foodshed is a volunteer initiative that was founded by Cadence Molecular Sciences employee, Laura Ward.

#nm-foodshed increases access to local food by strengthening producer supply chains across the Southwestern United States and connecting our employees directly to farmers, producers, and food-waste services.

"Bees are essential for pollinating 75% of the world’s food crops and supporting plant biodiversity. Climate change threatens bees by disrupting seasonal timing and flower availability, which in turn affects bees’ ability to forage and survive,” said Laura Ward, Sr. Systems Administrator, Cadence Molecular Sciences. “We can encourage bees and other local pollinators by making and promoting environmentally sustainable choices."

#nm-foodshed is currently working on a pollinator project, which builds habitats for pollinating mammals and insects. This includes the leafcutter bee, which pollinates wildflowers, fruits and vegetables. Despite the name, leafcutter bees will not damage leafy plants. They are solitary, docile, non-aggressive and rarely sting. While social, they do not create hives, nor compete with honey and bumble bees.

Volunteers including Paul George, IT Manager, Cadence Molecular Sciences, installed the leafcutter houses. Each leafcutter house is on top of a small beam inside a barrel-planter. Leafcutter bee cocoons were planted inside the attic of each house for the bees to nest. Additional bee cocoons are slated to be harvested in the fall.

The leafcutter bee houses are in various areas of the Bisbee campus including outside of building 5, 7, and 9. Come pay our pollinating friends and #nm-foodshed volunteers a visit! Contact us to schedule a time that works best for you at sales@eyesopen.com.