On Sustainability and Beekeeping with Jess de Boer | Sister Nature
Spring is the perfect time for rejuvenation, embracing change and reconnecting with nature. For those of you looking for new ways to connect with the earth this season, we asked farmer, former beekeeper and The Elephant and the Bee and Sister Nature author, Jess de Boer, her advice on beekeeping and finding sustainability in everyday life.
For someone living in a city or with limited space, what are some simple ways they can reconnect with nature?
Use every space to grow some plants - indoors they help lift the mood and provide a wonderful screen-free distraction … and if you have a balcony or garden - fill it with nectar rich plants for pollinators.
You can even buy or make your own small bee hotel!
Walking in the woods with a pair of binoculars allows nature to be appreciated up close and keep your eyes and ears open for community events like bird watching or butterfly monitoring - as often the people who attend these have extraordinary passion and knowledge .
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a beekeeper or regenerative grower but doesn’t know where to start?
Find a local farmers market and hunt down the beekeeper - or fresh producer, there’s always one! Make a connection and follow their advice - the key is to get offline and into the practical side as soon as possible.
What’s one common misconception people have about bees or beekeeping you wish more people understood?
That this is an art they can’t ’do’.
Looking into a hive will change your life - it did mine. Because in a world so full of humanity, it’s one of the most enlightening things you can do … and it’s not that hard. Just make sure you go with someone who knows what there doing.
You mention that we can’t make honey ourselves, we can only co-create it with bees. How does that idea of collaboration shape your broader view on sustainability?
Nature has billions of years of evolution and biological fine-tuning under her belt - and modern humanity a few hundred years.
In combination, we could be the most successful and efficient team - as long as we respect that our knowledge will always pale in compassion. Modesty mixed with wonder and awe is like rocket fuel for creating the future world we wish to live in…
If the hive is a metaphor for society, what do you think bees get right that we could learn from?
Hard work, discipline and order.
They really are the most extraordinary creatures ….
Want more advice on sustainability and beekeeping? You can find out more here.
Jess de Boer is the author of The Elephant and the Bee, a unique memoir on saving the world and other triumphant failures, and Sister Nature, which chronicles her decade-long journey to find purpose and potential in the explosive world of regenerative agriculture.
The Elephant and the Bee and Sister Nature are available to purchase at jacarandabooks.co.uk, Bookshop.org or anywhere books are sold.