We Love Our "New" Observational Bee Hive
By Carrie King, Executive Director
Our observational bee hive may not be brand new, but it might as well be after the recent careful restoration and restocking of it by volunteers Tom Goldschmidt and Jeff Cunningham. We thank them for their invaluable hard work; they have been exceptionally kind bee mentors for whom I have a great deal of respect. Speaking of others I owe a debt of gratitude to—I'd also like to give a shout out to The Vermont Beekeepers Association for being a tremendous resource for local beekeepers.
“The Vermont Beekeepers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, represents hundreds of beekeepers that raise bees for the love and honey. We’re as diverse as the 246 towns in Vermont, but are unified in our fascination with and affection for bees. Most of us are hobbyists, but there are some “side liners” who try to make a bit of extra income from their 25-200 hives as well as a handful of full-time professionals.”
These busy bees have enchanted me in many ways. I am more conscious of the environment around me. And, I am much more aware of pesticide use in my community and near our bees.
Environmental Educator Jake Pipp checks out the hive
I worry that some errant farmer or a gardening homeowner will go crazy with Round-up or some other pesticide and create a mass extinction of our colony. I am so grateful we have such wonderful native, pollinator-friendly gardens on the grounds of The Nature Museum for our bees to forage in.
The role of the honeybees and all bee species is to serve as key pollinators and especially key pollinators of our food. Without these creatures, we would definitely experience dire food shortages. In fact, until very recently, all pollinators have been very much unsung heroes. But, now with some species of bumblebees near extinction and joining the endangered species list, along with many other incredibly beautiful insects not least of which includes the monarch butterfly, people are paying greater attention to their instrumental role in our ecosystem and finding ways to protect them.
Thank you again Tom and Jeff for aiding us in our effort to play a small but positive role in supporting our pollinators!
