Art, science and community us a powerful combination that helps improve our relationship with the natural world. And it is this combination and a focus on industrious little insects—bees—that’s resulting in community-driven partnerships.
Bees are keystone pollinators with an economic value of plant fertilization worldwide estimated in the hundreds of billions. The Okanagan is a hot spot of bee diversity, with more than 380 species abuzz in the valley. They are enchanting and charismatic creatures, the ultimate networkers.
A talk about bees can lead to a discussion about plants, which can quickly turn into a dialog about food, habitat, soil, air and water. Before you know it, a bee briefing can quickly turn into a conversation about an entire ecosystem.
That’s what inspired the Border Free Bees project run by Nancy Holmes, an associate professor of creative writing at UBC Okanagan, and Cameron Cartiere, the associate professor in the Faculty of Culture + Community at Emily Carr University of Art & Design.
Continue reading at University of British Columbia.
Image via University of British Columbia.