A Non Profit
Welcome to Bee Native
Survival of the bees is as essential to our food production and natural environment as the soil the crops grow from. One third of our food requires pollination by insects. Bees are disappearing from our landscapes, world wide, in an epidemic known, since 2006, as Colony Collapse Disorder. The sensitive, delicate nature of the bee's physicals systems has left it wide open to the, often fatal effects of man's current agricultural methods and other pollutants.
As the population of bees and their health decline Bee Native is investing in careful examination, research & organic management to eliminate harmful substances from their environment. The stewardship of the bee colonies in Bee Native's projects are directed under the guidance of the foremost authorities in the fields of environmental science and bee keeping.
In the hands of the American Indian Tribal communities the bees will continue to educate and draw us further towards understanding their needs and our connection to the lands in which we live.
Complex, efficient and productive, the bee world has much to teach us. It is a remarkable mirror to reflect on and it delivers a daunting message with clarity. "Protection of our lands and one of its smallest yet essential inhabitants is what gives us at Bee Native purpose, power and the spirit to see possibilities."
This is a Call to Action- to halt a "four fold tragedy". The Bees and the environment, the growers, the consumers and the beekeepers all directly impacted.
Why we formed
Honeybee health has been truly compromised. Bees have been disappearing in a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the recent widespread global disappearance of honeybees from commercial bee farms, backyard apiaries and the natural landscape.
In the winter of 2008 a survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Services and Apiary inspectors showed that 36% of America's 2.4 million hives were lost to CCD.
Honeybees are responsible for pollination of approximately one-third of the food we consume in America, valued at more than $15 billion.
The decrease in plant and tree pollination will result in less food.
The leaders of Bee Native looked at the causes of CCD and decided to develop wholly unique national mitigation strategies and seek to promoting organic beekeeping on tribal lands, which represent 2.3% of the U.S. land base, and collaborate with Tribal colleges to establish beekeeping as a part of their curriculum.
Why, how and what we do
Native Americans have had a spiritual, custodial connection to the land and natural environment for thousands of years.
Native American natural medicines, rituals and traditions are reliant on plants, trees and herbs, which are endangered by CCD.
We help increase pollination by improving the health and population of honeybees.
We partner with Tribal Colleges, Universities and Tribes to establish permanent apiaries on tribal lands where students can learn about and care for bees for years to come.
These apiaries become part of the college community.
We train students in organic beekeeping, providing the hive equipment and genetically diverse bees.
We do not use chemicals in our beekeeping practices. Chemical use can lead to CCD.
Production of honey, chemical free wax, wax products and bee breeding can provide sustainable micro business opportunities.
What your contribution will do
You will help strengthen the depleted honeybee population.
You will help increase pollination of flowering trees, crops, herbs, vegetables and wild flowers.
You will help increase food production.
You will help support the Native American way of life, traditions and health.
You will be providing unique environmental education opportunities and collaborations.
You will be providing an opportunity to create small sustainable business on Tribal lands.
You will help connect people to the natural environment. Training to keep bees organically heightens awareness of the environment, it’s role in our health and the health of the planet.
You will provide Bee Native with opportunities to educate people in all walks of life about how to avoid use of insecticides and herbicides that kill bees and provide effective alternative methods.
Our long-term goals
Bee Native hopes to extend its training and apiary-building to any group, company or institute providing environmental education, apiaries and bees and their healing, restorative powers to a larger audience of concerned citizens.