My whole life I have loved to watch bees. I remember watching PBS as a kid and learning about the honey bee waggle dance and bee research. It was fascinating to watch such a small bug be able to tell her friends where to get more food and that a "grown up" would want to know more about these bugs. That show is still very vivid in my mind and has always fueled my desire to understand and care for these beautiful animals.
This desire is partially why I went back to college. When I found that I could work with bees on campus I jumped at the opportunity. The more I worked with the bees over the last year, the more interesting they became. I loved to watch them work and am amazed how they stay on task. It is very hard to get those ladies to change their minds. If they are working honey, they are working that honey and it is hard to get them to move. Bees are hard working, never leave their post, animals. I loved when I could find the queen and identify the brood and larvae, watching new bees emerge and the foragers bringing in pollen. But as I worked with the lovely honey bees I started to become allergic to their stings.
This allergy has lead my life in a new direction. I don't get to work directly with honey bees anymore and I am sad about that part of my dream, but that is not the end of my bigger dream. More than honey bees need help and a lot of people want to help without putting in a hive at home or work. I get to relate to all of these people.
As my focus has been widened from just the honey bee I have started to learn about bumble bees, mason bees, and leaf cutter bees. In this quest to find how I can still help, from afar, I have also looked more closely at not only bees but butterflies, moths, bats and birds. I am learning to the importance of creating a home habitat for all creatures that are native to my area, the Front Range of Colorado. My bigger dream is now more defined, to conserve native pollinators with their natural habitat in urban/suburban environments.
The conservation of these key species is important to the strength of the current and future food system, including home gardens. I am concerned about suburban/urban food deserts for these beautiful creatures and how to include native habitat that is both functional and beautiful in our home yards, green spaces and pavement filled lots. Humans and nature can exist and thrive together, we are made for each other (like a little love affair). As I focus on the bigger picture, I am going to take you along for the ride. I don't have the whole journey figured out but I do know the destination, beautiful urban/suburban environments that support local pollinators. These habitats not only bring beauty and life but peace, food, enjoyment, and tranquility. Join me for the journey of building a pollinator affectionate world. #honeybees #savethebees #pollinators #urban/suburbanenvironments
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