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A little something for everyone:
Nature's Nether Regions, Life in the Soil, dirt: the erosion of civilization Noah's Garden Attracting Native Pollinators Mycelium Running
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and, for those of you who want to know more right now...I have two movies for you. Enjoy~ The Invisible Highway on Vimeo  Any guesses on which insect has made it as high as 19,000 feet (Mt Logan in Washington)? or who regularly travels at 14,000 ft? or how many bugs are stacked over your head on a summer day?
How do you tell the difference between a honey bee and a bumble bee? Two of my favorite children's books will turn you into the neighborhood expert:
The "Bumblebee Queen", by April Sayre, is a simple and elegantly told story of the life cycle of the bumblebee. Patricia Wynne's illustrations are lovely, thoughtful, and accurate. Are you a fan of Ms. Frizzle and her Magic School Bus? If you join Ms. Frizzle and her class to take a trip "Inside a Beehive", you will be amazed at how much information you will learn (and not only about honeybees...) I highly recommend this book to beginning beekeepers of any age. Visit HoneyBee Suite to see some close-up images Honeybee or bumblebee?
Be sure to watch the 1996 Cadillac Desert four-part TV series, which includes interviews with Reisner, farmers from Owen's Lake, and Mulholland's granddaughter, as well as historical and vintage photos of the desert and mountains at the turn of the century.  Cathedral City near Palm Springs ©Damon Winter Last week, the New York Times ran a series of articles on the drought and the dire situation that the Golden State is in. I found it odd that the issue of where L.A.'s water comes from was never addressed. Mayor Garrett of Los Angeles, remarked "Do we have enough water to sustain life? Absolutely. Do we have enough water to grow economically? Absolutely." Perhaps Mayor Garrett should find more knowledgeable advisers–for the truth is that L.A. has been piping water in, from hundreds of miles away, for over a century. This "drought" is not a matter of climate change or seasonal weather, but nature refusing to cooperate with the sham any longer. Unsustainable & Unconscionable: California is definitely living on borrowed time (and water); in addition to draining rivers and lakes from all over the west, they have been pumping groundwater at a tremendous rate, which is NEVER a good idea. Interestingly, California is the only state which does not regulate the use of groundwater, though they are starting to think about it. (Uh-huh.) This seems long overdue when people in East Porterville, CA have dry wells and are subsisting on bottled water. Considering that one-quarter of our nation's food is grown in California, the repercussions of a century's worth of rampant unsustainable use of water will be felt far beyond its borders. It is time to start growing your own veggies and attending local Farmer's Markets! In our last visit to Orange County, I was heartened to see that homeowners were beginning to replant their front yards with native plants instead of turfgrass. The native yards were dizzy with birds, bees, and lizards. No surprise-we did not see any living things in the grassy lawn next door.  
GOOD READS & good deeds
I just finished reading A Sting in the Tale-My Adventures with Bumblebees by Dave Goulson, and I highly recommend this book. Goulson writes a memoir that is filled with the wonders and discoveries of a curious child in rural England who morphs into one of the world's leading experts on bumblebees. In an engaging Bill Brysonesque style, Goulson describes both the effects of monoculture and habitat fragmentation on native bees, as well as the consequences of introduced/invasive species into an ecosystem. Dave Goulson is also the founder of Bumblebee Conservation Trust which is a treasure-trove of information, guides, images, and advice (though the focus is on UK bumblebees). Goulson's recent reanalysis of a study on the effects of neonicitinoids, used by the UK's Food and Environment Research Agency, showed that neonicitinoid pesticides in fact ARE threatening bees worldwide. The agency had previously drawn a conclusion that was completely contrary to the results of the study :^( Street artists from London are working to bring awareness to the plight of the bumblebee and honeybee, and have painted murals in London, Croatia, New York, Miami, and New Orleans. Hey Seattle–we should do this too! #savethebees
  100 Days of Honey:
Elizabeth Gowing, a beekeeper currently residing in the UK, included our Seattle honey in her 100 days of honey-tasting blog and adventure. She enjoyed our urban cut-comb honey and stated that "Eating honey from the comb is a different experience from eating strained honey...And it tastes fabulous. The nose is of stone fruits – plum or apricot, with a sting of citrus. The taste is more berries – ripe blackberries or cherries." Elizabeth Gowing is also the author Travels in Blood and Honey which chronicles her adventures in beekeeping while living in Kosovo. Ju bëftë mirë! |
AuthorTracey Byrne~ 
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