Ancient Bee Story

“Ever since Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” first warned us against the dangers of chemicals in our natural world—we seem to be entering a new, more dangerous period, where the accumulated human effects upon the environment are producing an obvious toll. In this story, another human soul speaks out, this time, about the plight of the honeybees.” – from Cooking Up A Story. 

When David Suzuki came to Australia in the last few years, and gave numerous talks, he counted one of the main influences on his life’s work as being Rachel Carson.  A silent spring would indeed be a very strange thing, no sounds to show the humming back into life of the cosmos for the growing season. 

This short video, thanks to the brilliant work of Rebecca Gerendasy from CookingUpAStory, shows entomologist Lynne Royce, talking about her passion for bees, showing that understanding these small, ancient, industrious creatures who give so much to the world, leads to better interaction with them. 

Bees are known for their quirks and intelligences, and have even been venerated as gods and goddesses in ancient times, and have scientists endlessly studying their tendency to “Bee Dance”.  Rich bounty comes from the ancient involvement of bees with humankind, in beeswax, honey, pollenations and propogations in Nature.  It seems unlikely bees will disappear from the earth, but with better understanding, a more insightful connection to them is possible, interwoven into culture as they have been for millions of years.

(copyright Monika Roleff 2008 – Bee on Chestnut Flower in Spring.)

(copyright Monika Roleff 2008.)

(copyright CookingUpAStory, 2008.)