Plant Trees for Bees Like Your Life Depends On It
Images by Brette Little
We’ll start with some succinct background on this one: we need bees to survive. Bees are among the world’s greatest pollinators and the short story is that without bees, plants would perish, followed a short time later by humans. As we realize how important bees are and how significantly we are affecting their vitality, bee stewardship has seen a resurgence in recent years. But we have a long way to go.
Enter Tara Galpin of The Salty Hive and Milo Stuart of Rainwalk Design + Nursery, who are doing their part to ensure honey bee survival with their Trees for Bees program. We asked Tara what inspired this program, which is already underway with assistance from the Bee BC Program, and she explained that “as a beekeeper on Salt Spring Island, we have to feed colonies a lot of sugar water, and this is not a sustainable practice.” To promote proper honey bee health, local bees need “plant sources of nectar and pollen, [which are] more rich in nutrients than feeding sugar water.”
So what’s the solution? (Hint: it’s not a sugar water solution). The Salty Hive is set to expand honeybee forage by planting more than 200 trees for pollinators throughout this Fall season, plus give away more than 300 Linden seedlings in the Spring of 2021 to Salt Spring Island residents. Tree plantings have been selected for their benefit for those times in the season when less bee forage is available.
Whether you’re actively involved in beekeeping or only tangentially aware of the bee (and human) survival crisis that confronts us without a proper global behaviour check, you can help. The checklist to participate is short and easy. Do you:
Have a fairly sunny place for trees?
Have an interest in supporting local pollinators and beekeepers?
Enjoy resilient and beautiful trees within your landscape?
If you answered yes to the above, you’re in! All you have to do is reach out to express your interest and volunteers from The Salty Hive and Rainwalk Design will put you on the list to receive a Linden seedling (aka Tilia americana, or Basswood species) in the Spring, at no cost to you (though donations are gratefully accepted). The 200 trees for planting this Fall have all been spoken for, and if you are one of those lucky 200 recipients, you’re welcome to help plant your tree as Tara sees this as a great opportunity to connect with the community to raise awareness around honey bee health.
Tara currently manages honey bee colonies for bee admirers on island, and the next initiative for The Salty Hive is to implement pollinator-friendly gardens, in partnership with Rainwalk Design.
Please e-mail tara@thesaltyhive.com with your interest in the Trees for Bees program.
