This weekend marks National Honeybee Day! As the hurricane sweeps toward New England, I’m celebrating by reflecting on a few lessons from the bees. The importance of awareness. It’s easy to notice the flowers that are at human eye-level, but it’s only by tracing the pollen in early springtime that I began to notice the […]
A little while back, I was part of the terrific Voices of Nature series hosted by gifted teacher and leader Toby Herzlich. One of my biomimicry friends (thank you, S!) asked a question that I’ve carried with me these past weeks – what is it that the bees are teaching me in this moment? There’s not […]
As the year draws to a close, I start making lists, counting my blessings. Normally these lists are full of things I’ve seen and done – lots of travels, celebrations with loved ones, all sorts of buzzy activity. This year, though intensely busy in different ways, has markers that are quieter and a little harder to […]
One of my favorite signs of spring is the return of the honeybees. To hear the familiar hum, to see the bright spots of pollen gathered on their legs, to know that the science-miracle of pollination is happening all over the place – there is no better celebration of warmth and life. This year, my […]
One of the great joys of beekeeping is the chance to witness cooperative behavior in many forms, like the festooning bee-line pictured above. But bees are also pretty extraordinary as individuals. A few weeks ago, a dear friend sent me a wonderful article about how honeybees move in water when their wings are too wet […]
LESSONS IN POLLINATION In honor of National Honeybee Day (August 17), here are a few observations I’ve gathered from beekeeping. On Intentionality. Bees don’t need a lot of care – in fact, you can mess things up by bothering them too much, or by rushing around. Each encounter needs to have a simple plan, light enough […]
What do you see? If you’re a bee, you mostly see black and white. So what’s the point of all those colorful flowers? Recent research confirms that bees follow ultraviolet patterns on flowers. The bright yellows and reds don’t matter so much, but the tiny brown markings near the center can glow like neon to […]
“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.” – Henry David Thoreau The bees are back! I witnessed this beautiful sight recently in the Berkshires, when only the witch hazel was abloom.