Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own worlds, we forget about the big one: Mother Earth.
I’m a tree hugger. I admit it, and I’m proud of it. But I recognize that not everyone may feel as passionately about our planet as I do. Still, a blind eye isn’t an excuse for avoiding some very important changes our world is experiencing. So if you give me a moment, I’m hoping you’ll stick with me and allow a little cross-pollination into your day. (Ha! Cross-pollination and a blog about bees. Get it?) 🙂
If you’re a fellow tree hugger, hopefully this blog will reinvigorate an old passion. If you’re not, that’s okay too. All I ask for is a little open-mindedness into an issue that’s anything but little.
I started a new job last September and was very fortunate to meet a colleague who’s got an obsession for honey bees. Her name is Nancy Bowe. A graphic designer by trade, Nancy discovered this passion when tasked with writing a thesis to obtain her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. For most people, a thesis often brings on feelings of dread. For Nancy, it blossomed into a whole new world and a published book.
Armed with a camera and a deadline, Nancy quickly realized that her long-term love of nature—instilled by her mother at a young age—was going to bring on an unexpected journey. Her thesis would also give her a serious education about the plight of honey bees and how precious they are to our planet.
“I never truly understood why honey was considered the ‘nectar of the gods’,” Nancy says, “until I started meeting beekeepers. They taught me why honey bees were so sacred to ancient man, and why they’re endangered for us now.”
Did you know bees have evolved for over 100 million years?
It’s true. They’ve been preserved in fossils, depicted in prehistoric cave paintings, and revered by ancient Egyptians. (And for anyone who knows me that’s a biggie, given my love affair for those amazing people!) Bees use the sun as their compass and can fly nearly two miles to forage for water, nectar, and pollen. They’re vital pollinators of crops, orchards, and wildlife habitats. They provide humans with minerals, vitamins, and nutrients.
They’re also dying off.
Make no mistake, this is a dangerous situation.
So Nancy made it her task to educate people about what is happening. It’s why she published her book, so people could see the splendor of these amazing insects and also learn how easy it is to make our environment bee-friendly, so they can continue to provide the planet with all they have to offer.
I don’t often plug book, but this one warrants a look. It makes a great gift (the photos are spectacularly breathtaking and beautiful) as well as a coffee table piece (the content makes for great conversation). Plus, Nancy’s donating part of the proceeds from the sales of her book to honey bee decline research organizations and intends to release a children’s illustrated book in the future. Because, as Nancy says, “One out of every three bites of food we eat are pollinated by bees. If they are in trouble, all of humanity is in trouble. But there are many ways in which everyone can help save the hard-working honey bees.”
♥ Namaste ♥
You can buy a copy of Nancy Bowe’s book, The Honey Bee Portrait, on Amazon.
Like and Follow The Honey Bee Portrait on Facebook and Instagram.
Copyright © 2012-2018 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Terri Herman-Ponce 
I’ll post it on my FB page, Sheryl Hill-Jeffries, they are so pretty!
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Thank you!!!
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Thank you, Terri, and it’s totally appropriate for you to post about honey bees to a fiction writers’ group. It’s one more way to try to break through our collective denial of the situation we’re in. Some days it’s tempting to throw up my hands and say I can’t change anything. I’m coming to believe that the only way forward is for those of us who value a healthy environment and a nurturing society to begin building a new social structure. The current one is harmful to living things.
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Well said, and I agree!! We have one planet. We need to take care of it.
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Totally with ya on hugging those trees. I took a beekeeping class this time last year and really enjoyed it. For now, I’m just committing to making my yard a haven for all pollinators. I wanted to share this recent article with you that broadens the issue beyond just honeybees. I will also try to find another story I heard or read recently that refutes the concept of creating artificial hives for the honeybees. A complicated and fascinating subject. Thanks for mentioning.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/01/27/581007165/honeybees-help-farmers-but-they-dont-help-the-environment?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180127
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Thank you for sharing this information, Lissa! I’m going to check it out. We used to have a “summer garden” at our previous house that was designed to attract bees and butterflies, and all sorts of wildlife and nature. We even attracted hummingbirds. It was a beautiful thing to see, and an extraordinary thing to watch and listen to. I miss it very much.
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I loved the post! People think I’m crazy for planting a butterfly garden; Monarchs go insane over Fennel, and I plant several of the herbs out for their enjoyment. They are not picky, bronze or regular fennel will do. I planted passion vines out last spring, the “untreated kind” I had no idea that they are a magnet for this beautiful rust colored butterfly, my husband came through the front door and told me that something had been chowing down on my vines. I went out and found this beautiful butterfly hovering over my healthy vines. I went in to look the plant up and sure enough, it draws this particular butterfly. I had cacoons all over the place. Once they got started, they devoured both of my vines. I had to remove the caterpillars because they were eating it faster than it would grow. They started hatching and finally gave up on my passion flowers until they started growing back. I have a true butterfly garden now. I wish I could post some of the photos of these glorious creatures. I have bee friendly plants as well.
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Wow! I wish you could post those pics too. I’d love to see them! I miss butterflies too. I don’t see nearly as many as I did when I was younger. So so sad.
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