This Thursday at 7:30 PM, the EventGallery 910Arts and Transition Denver are presenting a public screening of the fascinating documentary “The Vanishing of the Bees“. This film explores the importance of bees in our food systems and reveals unsettling truths about the significance of their steadily decreasing numbers, highlighting the unsung hero beekeepers who fight to keep them (and us, in turn) alive.
In other bee news, a recent NPR broadcast interviewed several beekeepers and examined the new-found (or perhaps rediscovered) fascination with bees, including the purported healing properties of their honey. The article notes that, while honey may be a sweet side-deal, the primary benefit of bees is how they enable our food to grow:
If the sole purpose of a bee was to make honey, perhaps the decline of bees wouldn’t be so troubling. But these tiny workers are hugely important to our food supply. They pollinate billions of dollars worth of fruits and vegetables every year.
Think about your own diet today. Have you eaten an apple, a cucumber, some blueberries or almonds? These foods wouldn’t end up on our tables if it weren’t for the work of bees.
DUG is also a big fan of bees. We have a bee policy for our gardens to encourage and maintain healthy hives for those community gardens that are interested in hosting bees. Check it out in our Resources page.
