WHITE TOWNSHIP,  July 28, 2026 - A row of flowering trees that a passing motorist noticed last summer has led to 10 colonies of bees sojourning on the grounds of the Warren County’s Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building for a few weeks.

Beekeeper Tom Ozden of Knowlton Township said he was driving on Route 519 to and from the Warren County Farmers’ Fair when he noticed the trees blooming, an unusual sight at that time of year.

“That’s a lot of blooms in such a short span,” Ozden said he remarked to his wife, Faith. “Imagine if we could get bees over there.”

With her encouragement, he later contacted the County, which welcomed the temporary installation of a flatbed trailer holding 10 colonies of honeybees in their stacked boxes. In fact, the county Administration Building has a pollinator garden intended to provide food and habitat for native pollinators including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Ozden checked on his hives recently and gave a tour of his setup to Commissioner James R. Kern III, who spearheaded the effort for Warren County to become the first county in New Jersey to be certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, and County Administrator Alex J. Lazorisak. Kern then showed Ozden the nearby pollinator garden, which was abuzz with honeybees – likely from Ozden’s hives – bumblebees, butterflies and other insects.

Kern said the County was pleased to be able to provide a temporary spot for the colonies, and remarked that the County has many other properties, both farmland and parkland, that could possibly host hives. He noted the visit was timely, with today being World Nature Conservation Day. Falling each year on July 28, World Nature Conservation Day acknowledges that the foundation for a healthy society is a healthy environment, and the day is intended to increase awareness about the importance of protecting our natural resources.

“Protecting bees is an important part of protecting all pollinators. They play a vital role in supporting our farms, strengthening our food supply, and maintaining the healthy ecosystems that make Warren County so special,” Kern noted. “As New Jersey’s first National Wildlife Federation-certified Community Wildlife Habitat county, we’re proud to support efforts that help pollinators thrive and preserve our natural resources for future generations."

Ozden said the variety he noticed are the Japanese Pagoda, also known as the Chinese scholar tree (Styphnolobium japonicum), a species of deciduous tree known for its fragrant white blossoms.

Ozden’s trailer holding the hives, surrounding by a temporary electric fence to keep bears from raiding the boxes for honey, will be on the county property for three to four weeks and then will move to another location. He maintains about 200 hives and has placed them at his own property and on other farms on both a long-term and short-term basis. Each hive could have anywhere from 10,000 to more than 60,000 bees inside, he said.

The fascinating thing about bees, Ozden remarked, is that “they always do what is best for the colony. They never do what’s best for the individual.”

To learn more about Ozden and his operation, visit his website at www.theozden.com or on Facebook at “The Oz Den Bee Keeping and Engraving.”

Commissioner James R. Kern III and beekeeper Tom Ozden at the trailer of bees Ozden temporarily placed at the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building in White Townwhip, NJ.

Beekeeper Tom Ozden shows Commissioner James R. Kern III and Warren County Administrator Alex J. Lazorisak the trailer of bees Ozden temporarily placed at the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building in White Townwhip, NJ.

A butterfly at the Pollinator Garden at Warren County's Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building in White Township.