A shout-out to all the bees out there! Let's give them a round of applause!

Sept 3 2024 - Our friends in nature make living on our big blue planet so much better. In fact, we couldn't live here without them.

Bees deserve a ton of recognition for the giant role they play in making our world a much, much, much better place! They are proof that it is not only people who have the honor and capability of improving our world. So it's time to move over on this one, folks. The world of nature has a whole army of insects and animals that are on the front lines of making the world an amazing place to live. But way more than that . . . they are essential for the health of us and the earth! So in this post I want to salute the bees, one of the many important critters on this big blue planet!

As most of you know, they are one of the pollinators of our agricultural world, which essentially means our food. Do you like your fruit and veggies? And maple syrup and vanilla? And your favorite microbrew and Pinot Noir? And your morning cup of Joe? Well, please send some appreciative vibes to our bees. Their hard work helps to keep us alive and our stomachs fed.

Those of you who like your beef, chicken, etc. should also send a big thank you to the bees. The food that these animals eat exists because of the pollination activity of bees. Our bee buddies pollinate grass, hay, oats, all the yummy food animals like to snarf down. Plus there sure wouldn't bee (couldn't resist a pun!) any milk or eggs, or cream to put in your coffee or ice cream to console you at the end of a long stressful day or honey to smear on your toast.

And think about this. The trees and plants and bushes that absorb carbon from the atmosphere (a.k.a. carbon sinks) grace our planet in part because of the pollination skills of the bee family. Bees are a part of the vital puzzle that make up what plants need to survive in this crazy world. What is a carbon sink you ask? It is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases. We need to keep the carbon levels in our atmosphere at a manageable level, so carbon sinks are of vital importance. Therefore, so are the bees that pollinate them.

Here is more to ponder. Since bees pollinate wild plants in general, we would lack oxygen to breathe if bees and all the other pollinators didn't exist. Plants are our good friends since they release oxygen. And last I checked, we need oxygen. So one more reason for a huge shout out to bees for their mega part in the whole oxygen production process!

I realize my short list of reasons of why bees (and most definitely all of the other many pollinators) are making our world a better place is just the tip of the iceberg. This is a topic that many books and papers and articles and documentaries and podcasts cover extensively and there is still more to learn and celebrate about bees!

I just ask that our wonderful bees get the recognition they deserve for all the important things they do to make our lives so much better. May each of us appreciate the vital role they play in our world and in keeping us humans alive. Show the bees some love and encourage each other to help make the world a better place for them. Do some research and you will be surprised how much can be done to help our pollinating friends!

Cheers to those who are making

the world a wonderful place to live! Including the BEES!