French Bees, Biodiversity and Earth Day
In this little corner of southwestern France, caring for bees adds meaning to Earth Day celebrations.
Is it Earth Day already? 2021…what a year it has been, and it’s only April.
Here, in the rolling hills outside of Toulouse, spring is not shy. Flowers are bursting, bees are buzzing and the weeds (trying to take over the world) remind me that there is a lot of work to do. Especially this year.
Bees, glorious bees, have inspired me to take action. A non-profit is born… The Bee Sanctuary.
Starting a non-profit or an “association” as we call it here in France, will probably need a whole year in order to get it right… and that’s only thinking about the administrative details… the weeds may need longer! So I claim this whole year as our foundation year and I invite everyone to follow along and join us as we explore how we can give the bees a boost to ensure a brighter future for us all.
As I am stepping out and being more public with my initiative to help the bees and biodiversity, I certainly cannot let Earth Day sneak by without sending a hope filled flare into the night sky to let our good old planet know we’re here and we’re trying to do some good.
So, how did I get here? Sparked by my experience as an accidental beekeeper (the bees adopted us, but that is another story!) and after learning just how damn hard the bees work to create their perfect food source (honey is amazing) I felt like the least I could do is to care for some bees, give them some shelter and ask nothing in return.
With no honey harvest to sell, the financial side of caring for bees became a subject of conversation. My husband and I are renovating an old farmhouse with, let’s say simple resources and our own hands. Some people offered to chip in cash to help. They did not want bees in their yard, they were happy to have me do it on their behalf.
But what would the taxman say? Spoiler alert: the taxman says we need to establish an “association” so we can play by the rules and track all financial details.
The Bee Sanctuary is born!
Our initial mission: to create a safe haven for bees, no honey harvest required!
Our larger project: to support all the things that would help the bees -which is basically all the things that will help life on Earth. Educating people about bees and the need for clean complex ecosystems. Hello biodiversity!
So this year, the Earth Day celebrations feel a bit different for me. In the past I probably posted photos of flowers or gorgeous nature shots…I have marched in protest against dangerous pesticides, or I worked in the garden quietly admiring this gorgeous planet and have worried for the future. Humans can be a bit disappointing on a larger scale.
But with The Bee Sanctuary plans swirling in my mind, I feel more engaged and more hopeful this April 22… I like to get my hands in the mix and DO something so this feels filled with hope.
I also feel a bit of pressure, like I’m already late even though I am just getting started! But every journey begins with the first step, so here we go. Let’s see what we can accomplish by next April 22!
I am sending out wishes for a Happy Earth Day to all! Especially to the main attraction, Earth.
If you would like to learn more about The Bee Sanctuary, please come cheer us on and spread the word. You can find us at the-bee-sanctuary.org (website coming soon) or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/thebeesanctuaryfrance
