World Bee Day – The Unsung Heroes of our Planet
Bees are so much more than just honey-makers. They're the unsung heroes of our planet, responsible for pollinating one-third of the food we eat! They’re small but mighty, and have a huge responsibility in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems. They pollinate the fruit, vegetables, and nuts that we eat and assist in producing the seeds that grow plants and trees which in turn sustain clean air, water and healthy soils.
Bees are responsible for pollinating one-third of the food we eat.
Growing up as a little girl in a beekeeping family never did I think that my life would end up being more about showcasing and highlighting the critical role that bees play than anything else. When Steven and I started Beechworth Honey more than 30 years ago, building on the legacy of beekeeping from generations before us, we naturally thought it was just about honey. But over the last 30 years, it’s become crystal clear that honey is only a tiny part of the picture. Honey is the clue that bees and nature use to coax us humans into realising how beneficial bees are.
Our lives have ended up being about championing and heroing bees and honey for the betterment of us, and the planet. That is a much bigger job than just putting honey in jars!
Bees aid in seed production, plant growth, and maintaining clean air, water and healthy soils.
Today on World Bee Day, I recall with pride the group of forward-thinking beekeepers from Slovenia who I have been privileged to work with as they shared their vision back in 2014 to have World Bee Day recognised by the United Nations. I recall the little video piece I put to camera for them at the global beekeeping Conference in Daejeon South Korea on behalf of Australia calling for a day to mark the importance of bees and celebrate their value.
I recall my time at Kevin Rudd’s 2020 Summit in Canberra back in 2007 where as a participant I penned my wish for the nation to be submitted into a ‘time capsule’. My words were a plea for recognition of the strategic importance of bees and the need for policies that support bees and beekeeping. Still working on this one!
For us World Bee Day feels like one long continuous lifetime. It’s both a privilege and an obligation to have gained insights and knowledge about bees and to share this as we take action to help bees.
Small but mighty, bees maintain the balance of our ecosystems.
Every day we continue our mission to leave the Australian beekeeping industry, bees and the strategic importance of real Australian honey better understood. Our family recently documented our 100 year plan for Beechworth Honey not because we will be around to see the fruits of this but because we believe it’s critical for an ethics based honey company to survive for the next 100 years to keep driving an enduring legacy for bees well into the future. Bees will always need help and support and as David Attenborough famously says “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. Our actions seek to give people experiences with bees and honey. We raise awareness and engage customers in innovative ways.
Happy World Bee Day everyone and thanks for playing your part in supporting real Australian honey and importantly Australia’s bees!