Maple Leaf Honey Bee Project
We hope you are enjoying some of the honey from the Maple Leaf Honey Bee Project! This project is part of our ride on the roller coaster of thoughts and feelings about climate change. On our good days, we believe putting our attention on the climate emergency can generate some small solutions, and more closeness to other people and to nature. Below is a little about our journeys in backyard beekeeping.
We’d love to hear what you’re discovering on your own journey facing climate change. Feel free to email us (bees at zwrob dot com) stories of what is unfolding for you.
Todd…
A few years ago I was wondering, “What could I do, in my backyard, to fight climate change?” Somehow I stumbled upon the idea of raising bees, not for the honey so much as to help pollinators. My thought was that helping pollinators can help our local ecosystem. So I replaced my front yard with a hugelkultur and started raising bees. I involved friends and neighbors by inviting them to host bee hives in their back yards, too. I’m trying to breed a locally adapted variety of bees suited to our wet climate.
Kristin…
When I first met Todd he told me about the food forest he was creating in his yard. Pear and hazelnut trees, blackberry bushes, composting logs (a hugelkultur), and service berry and other native shrubs for the bees and critters to feast. Last Fall I sowed native grass seeds and this Spring we spread wildflower seeds. We’re hoping they’ll grow into a Pacific Northwest prairie that feeds the finches, shelters the mice, and supplies the bees with even more pollen.
Other paths…
The part of the journey we both love most is the connections with people… An old friend that was hosting one of Todd’s hives in his yard has decided to take a bee keeping class and has started keeping bees of his own.
Two young friends of ours have taken a keen interest in bees, and one even drew the picture of a bee on this web page (thanks Mays!)
We’ve had dozens of neighbors stop and ask about the bees (and honey!).
If you are interested in joining us for one of our critter parties, then drop us an email.
–Todd and Kristin
Links
Here are some links to organizations that we enjoy…
- Puget Sound Beekeepers Association
- Seattle Tilth Alliance
- Seattle Tilth + Seattle Public Utilities’ Master Composter/Sustainability Steward program
- Transit Riders Union
- Russ Vernon Jones (uplifting stories)
- Out of the Closet Thrift Store in Capitol Hill takes clothes and household goods donations and supports testing and health care treatment for HIV/AIDS treatment
- Refugee Artisan Initiative, takes textile donations that help women who are refugees create clothes, bags, and more for sale
- Grist, for thoughtful, sometimes hopeful news about the climate
- Seattle waste prevention tips
- King County Conservation District has lots of free videos and workshops about healthy soil and water and wildfire preparation, and they’ll test your soil’s nutrient content for free. P.S. we the public elect their Board of Supervisors!