Living Locally
by Rob Miller

What Can We Learn from Honeybees?

At our May gathering next week, the Charlotte Sustainable Living Network will present a new film by local filmmaker Jan Cannon, Health & the Hive: A Beekeeper’s Journey. Jan, a beekeeper himself, will discuss what he learned while researching the topic and interviewing experienced apiarists. Todd Hardie of Honey Garden Apiaries, a central figure in the film, will also join us and bring samples of his therapeutic honey products.
According to Jan, Todd Hardie is “inspired, articulate and knowledgeable about bees.” For him, keeping bees and making plant medicines form a series of partnerships with farmers, horticulturalists, queen breeders and many others. The film follows the web of teamwork that makes up Honey Gardens Apiaries, introducing viewers to some of these partners and their intricate, fascinating world.
Many people are aware that bee populations have been declining in recent years, threatening agricultural practices (such as almond growing) that rely on them for pollination. The current crisis is not the central focus of the film, but it is impossible to talk about bees without addressing their apparent decline. In the view of one of the experts in the film, the “mysterious disease of the bees” is nothing more than the consequence of bad agricultural practices. The bee, one of the best bio-indicators in nature, the proverbial canary in the coal mine, reveals how degraded our environment has become.
Health & the Hive suggests that a more respectful, less industrial approach to agriculture in general and beekeeping in particular will lead to a better outcome for both bees and the humans who are so dependent upon them.What will save the bees – along with ourselves – is a sustainable, more ecologically attuned approach to working the land and enjoying nature’s bounty. Although the film focuses on beekeeping, its lessons apply to our entire relationship with the earth. It suggests how our modern way of life needs to adapt to ecological realities.
The 53-minute film explores topics such as pollination, queen breeding, disease control, bee venom therapy, organic agriculture and honey-based plant medicine.It features gorgeous photography and close-up encounters with the lives of bees. Health & the Hive will be shown next Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center. It is free and all are welcome.
More information about the film, including a video clip and still photographs, can be found at jancannonfilms.com/honeybee.htm. Todd Hardie’s website, honeygardens.com, tells more about his work and honey products.

Meanwhile, don’t forget to drop off your completed transportation survey at Town Hall. The Charlotte Sustainable Living Network, in partnership with town officials and other interested citizens, is trying to determine whether there is a demand for fuel-conserving transportation options in the town. Only by gathering your responses will we know what directions to take in planning public transit, ride sharing, bicycle facilities or other alternatives. You’ll find the survey on the home page of the town’s website, charlottevt.org and on page 19 of this issue of the News.