NEW YORK - It's not just the huge crowds that are buzzing about the High Line. Look closely and you'll see bees have made a bee-line for the elevated park.  

Sarah Kornbluth studies bees for the American Museum of Natural History and says she's discovered 34 species of them living right amid the crowds. The bees don't live in hives like honey bees, but rather in old railroad ties and plant stems, when they're not gathering nectar and pollen.

"We found bees that are nesters in tiny stems that have a pith inside the stem that are the size of a coffee stirrer inside that make their nests in those cavities. We found bees that'll make their nests in almost any kind of cavity, real opportunistic cavity-nesting bees," Kornbluth noted.

The High Line has long been attractive to bees, in large part because of all the native plant life, some of which is in bloom from early spring all the way to October. The bees here like to fly off to nearby green spaces, and in the process help to pollinate area vegetable gardens.

"The High Line can be a source of bees for people's vegetable gardens all in the neighborhood. And you're not gonna get any squash, you're not gonna get any tomatoes unless you have a pollinator visit," Kornbluth said.

It's one reason the bees here are so valuable.

"Many people visit the high line. It's an opportunity to talk about what's happening. To learn about different species. To start thinking about pollinator conservation," Kornbluth said.

Park officials say visitors don't have to worry about getting stung. The bees up here like to keep to themselves.

"A lot of these bees are native bees. And they're not aggressive. They rarely ever sting anyone," said Robert Hammond, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Friends of the High Line.

High Line gardeners are hoping to attract even more bees. One way they're doing that is by being more mindful when they trim branches, so as not to kill off the bees' habitat.