Bees, Bees and Bees

Take a walk with me over to see Bombus!

Oct 13, 2021

Spending quiet time in nature slows us down. There is no rush to get things done.

Observing nature brings us gifts. The melody of a bird delights us. Our mind’s eye soars along with the flight of a raven. The beauty of sunlight captivates us as it dapples the leaves. A bee rambles on from flower to flower. There is no urgency. There is no time clock to punch. There is no fee or purchase price. Trees go through the seasons without complaining.

“And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.- William Shakespeare” ('As You Like It' (1599) act 2, sc. 1, l. 12)

There are times when nature turns our lives upside down and reminds us that we are a small part of the complexities of the universe. Yet, we humans have a lesson to learn. Our actions that result in logging our forests, destroying ecosystems and watersheds, insisting on an economy dependent on toxic fossil fuels and chemicals, corporate factory farming are all contributing to a destruction of our own health and the planet’s health. Fresh air and clean water are priceless.

As I was walking through our renowned local botanical gardens here on the Mendocino Coast, I stopped to watch a fellow critter. There was Bombus! Our star yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii).

Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) photo © 2021 by Mary Rose Kaczorowski

Bombus is busy as a bee yes! But a slow busy. Bombus just taking its time and what patience! How much can we learn from nature even from Bombus! Bees are flexible, diligent workers and they are social creatures and depend on community. A beehive is one big community. Bees need clean water and fresh air as we do.

Fort Bragg, California where I live is thinking globally and acting locally. Fort Bragg was certified as a BEE City on June 18, 2016. What is a bee city? Bee City USA provides a framework for communities to come together to conserve native pollinators by providing them with healthy habitat that is rich in a variety of native plants, provides nest sites, and is protected from pesticides. There are over 275 cities and campuses in forty-four states across the country rallying to protect pollinators. What a terrific way to bring your community together to create positive change.