The Bee embodies a rich source of metaphors, and has been inspirational in many cultures throughout history.

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How can we; artists, educators, activists and scientists, share Stories from the Hive with those who are eager to hear them? How can art invite, provoke, educate, explore?

 

This session will hold a conversation on how we translate what we are learning from the Bee into socio-ecological art practices, which dream up new possibilities of collaboration with the natural environment and serve as a catalyst for change.

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In these incredibly stressful times for the entire natural world, it is clear that everything we plant should feed or house beneficial insects and birds.  The picture of decline of both insects and birds is very alarming and raises the spectre of a world bereft of bees and birds for future generations.

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Thankfully there many signs of excellent and creative responses to the crisis on the part of individuals and groups in different countries around the world.  In this session we will introduce you to a number of exemplary projects in Germany, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the USA that have been initiated with the express purpose of  enhancing forage opportunities for bees and other pollinators and are making a tangible difference to the ecology of entire regions. Be inspired what can be achieved and ask our presenters how they made it happen.

The future success of beekeeping in terms of colony vitality and resilience will depend largely on how effectively beekeeping methods worldwide are focused on supporting bees in becoming well adapted to their environment. There is an urgent need to address the practices of conventional beekeeping that hinder such adaptation.  An exploration into the changes  needed to establish a sound and sustainable culture of bee husbandry in the long term.

 

The future success of beekeeping in terms of colony vitality and resilience will depend largely on how effectively beekeeping methods worldwide are focused on supporting bees in becoming well adapted to their environment.

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There is an urgent need to address the practices of conventional beekeeping that hinder such adaptation, such as importation of queens, suppression of natural reproduction, apiary design that changes the ecology of disease to favor virulent strains of pathogens and parasites, insufficient attention to supporting colonies’ warmth maintenance, chemical and other treatments of colonies, etc.

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We will discuss, by reference to recent research as well as successful practice what changes are needed to establish a sound and sustainable culture of bee husbandry in the long term.