Greetings to all in our hive, young and old, near and far away. Thank you for being here with us today when you could be anywhere else but here and now. Jazianzza wanted me to share the moving poem “Earthrise” by powerful wordsmith and activist Amanda Gorman. Although she wrote it back in 2018, the need to amplify its message of protecting our planet has only grown. Here she is, offering her poem to the world:
With the rollbacks of environmental protections, Jazi wanted me to ask you all to please do what you can to protect all pollinators, in essence, all of her family. It’s not just that pollinators are fun to watch as they fly from flower to flower, but they are crucial for nearly 2/3 of the crops on our planet.
For example, we can, of course, support our pollinators by using only clean products in our gardens instead of deadly pesticides. We can donate to organizations that research and help protect these precious beings. (A percentage of the sales of Bee-Coming Strong is donated to the Xerces Society.) And we can plant pollinator-friendly plants, especially now, with spring coming.
In light of that, I wanted to tell you about a marvelous plant that you may not know about…borage. I planted one last year and was amazed at how many bees it attracted. They just couldn’t get enough of those beautiful blue triangular-pointed petals. A dear friend told me her mother used to make tea out of the leaves, while another told me that she used to make poultices to help with the various aches and pains of her children. I read that a fun thing to do with the flowers was to put them into ice cubes and they were right! And guess what? It reseeded itself this year so I have baby borages to give away! 😉 They’re beautiful! In case you’re interested, here’s a list from the Xerces Society of edible plants that benefit pollinators. It’s a win-win! https://www.xerces.org/blog/plants-you-can-eat-are-pollinato…
Would you consider joining us in doing whatever you can to help protect our beleaguered environment? Anything, even just planting one little seed, can have beneficial effects. “It is,” as Amanda Gorman so eloquently noted, “a hope that implores us at an uncompromising core to keep rising up for an Earth more than worth fighting for.”
Oh! One other thing that we wanted to share…Akiko Martinache, the gifted illustrator who helped bring Jazianzza’s image to you, had a private exhibition in Japan last year. Here’s a link to lead you to her beautiful work. Look for Bee-Coming Strong at the end of the video! 🐝 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVMnOxmhWU8
Before Jazi flies off, she wanted me to share an art project you can do with all your kiddos. Her dear friend Lydah Butter Fly loves this idea. Even though it’s not painted to look like Lydah, she is happy to think that the two-leggeds will have something fun to do that will remind them of her family of pollinators. This instructional video is less than two minutes long and is packed with creativity. Enjoy!
Wishing you a month of unexpected delights in the small things of life, and please take care of yourself!
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson