“Treat God’s earth and everything on it with great care."
~ Psalm 23:1
This story plots the confluence of
urban blight, eco-calamity, and two people with a dream. Let’s take them in that order.
The city that was once among the wealthiest in America fell
into a decrepit, often surreal backdrop of urban decay. The birthplace of the American auto industry,
it boasted factories that at one time produced cars shipped around the world. Its downtown was studded with architectural
gems and by the 1950s, it boasted the highest median income and largest rate of
home ownership of any major American city.
This once-great city became dominated
by abandoned skyscrapers, empty schools, and deserted houses. Tires, empty beer cans, and other debris
litter front yards and driveways. "No
dumping" signs dotted vacant lots where homes once stood. Get the picture?
Now imagine a world without almonds, pears, avocados, and
dare I say - wine? Most plants rely on
bees and other natural pollinators to produce some of nature's most nutritious
and beloved foods. But pollinators are
under siege because of pesticides, climate change, foreign pests and habitat
loss. In recent years, U.S. beekeepers
lost nearly half of their colonies. We
all have something to lose if bees disappear - and we play a significant role
in their survival.
Enter Detroit natives Tim Paule and Nicole Lindsey. He got interested in honey and honeybees
because of a cough he couldn’t shake until someone suggested local raw honey
for its medicinal properties. Soon his
cough disappeared, but not his curiosity.
He started thinking about the city's vacant lots, and how
they're not only an eyesore and breeding ground for crime, but how they trigger
allergies from overgrown ragweed. Tim
also learned that bees thrive on vacant lots that are free of harmful
pesticides. It occurred to him that he might
be able to solve several issues simultaneously - protecting vacant spaces, eliminating
ragweeds, and making a homeopathic cure. Plus, honey is delicious.
For that, they'd need to raise some bees.
He and Nicole took classes and became certified
beekeepers. With a $340 investment, they
turned a vacant lot, previously overgrown by tall grass and harmful waste, into
a bee farm with a groomed green space, garden, and nearly 200,000 honey bees.
The duo formed Detroit
Hives, a nonprofit focused on improving the Motor City’s “left behind”
communities and educating people about Apiology (the study of honeybees). Their motto: “Work hard, stay bumble!” An
after-school program offers a course on honey bees, handling safety, and how to
get more involved in bee preservation.
Although it may seem daunting to “make a difference” it’s
actually quite simple … start small! We
can solve so many of our problems simply by opening our eyes to new
possibilities with creativity, intellect and kindness.
Holy Father of all who inhabit this earth, bless
the bees – that they may multiply, be fruitful and protected from all harm so
that the product of their labor may be used in Your honor. Amen
