By Alex Tuchman | Executive Director
Happy Spring dear Friends,
It is such a joy to write you during this very busy spring season of growth and renewal. We are in the thick of swarm season now, catching 14 beautiful swarms already in April, which is a very productive beginning to the beekeeping season and a sign that the bees are healthy and thriving.
I'd like to take this moment to give our deepest gratitude and thanks for all the incredible support we have recieved from you all in this past year. Here are some of the major highlights for what your support has helped to give strength to in 2022:
1. Building a welcoming space for pollinators
Last year, we planted generous prairie and hedgerows and collected data of our findings to share. With eight 200-foot long hedgerows in the bottom field, planted by hand, double the acreage for goats, and new fences and shelters, the restoration of a damaged hillside and riparian area are underway.
2. Breaking ground on a new Community House
This 2,400 sq ft House is designed to host classes, visitors, and long-term housing for our apprentices. Along with the Community House, we are building 5 modest cabins for short- and longer-term stays at the Sanctuary for researchers, students, and supporters.
3. Offering a 9th cohort of Sustainable Biodynamic Beekeeping and a revised Apprentice curriculum
The in-depth two-year beekeeping training & practicum with Spikenard drew together its 9th cohort this year. Moreover, six apprentices moved to Floyd, Virginia to work at the Sanctuary and study our newly revamped apprenticeship curriculum. Weekly meetings, “Bee School” lessons, and a skills checklist take this educational and experiential opportunity to the next level. Topics include:
4. Open House Days and School Group Visits
Once a month, Spikenard hosts Open Days for anyone: we meet 50+ visitors each time, offer a tour of the Sanctuary, make a stop by the gift shop with many beautiful items from the bees, snack on pesto, tea, and goat cheese with herbs from the Farm. In eight shorter and week-long visits with school-age children, we spend time directly with dozens of young people to create knowledge and understanding of stinging insects.
5. New Workshops and Festivals
The Summer Solstice Festival in June and the Milk and Honey Festival in September were particularly powerful and inspiring. In the spirit of the hive mind, we invited several colleagues to step in and bring content as Lead Learners. We warmly invited the participation of all who came to the festivals to help co- create the event with us. This honeybee-inspired model of new community has become central to the development of how we work as a staff at Spikenard, and this has permeated our festival life.
6. Engaged and lively online learning
In 2022, we committed to online education, as our scope has grown to include students in Canada and beyond. The Sustainable Biodynamic Beekeeping Training two-year course is now hybrid, and overall, we hosted 448 participants in online sessions alone. Spikenard’s online courses have grown in popularity and developed more depth and participation in the past two years.
Thank you so much for all your support to make possible all of this work in service of the honeybees!
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