The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained 66. Beyond Honey with Tierney Monahan
This week's episode is all about honeybees! Did you know that there are 4,000 different bee species native to North America? Honey bees, however, are not native to North America, but were brought here from Europe in the 17th century, and have since become are integral part of our ecosystem. They are efficient pollinators who, along with native bees, allow our food crops and the planet's flora to flourish. Factors in our environment such as climate change, habitat loss, and widespread usage of chemicals in modern-day agriculture are threatening to the bee population, and in turn, to our food supply.
Bees have always been a part of Tierney Monahan’s life, and her fascination with them has been well-documented in her new book, Beyond Honey. She weaves together beautiful stories about the economic, entrepreneurial, and environmental impacts of bees on our society. Today we will be speaking to her about her fascination with bees and how she has documented them as a writer for the Georgetown Magazine, and as author of her book as an MBA candidate at Georgetown University. Tierney also shares with us her mission of educating individuals on the impact of honey bees on society.
Join us on this week’s episode as we learn more about the importance of pollinators in ensuring our planet’s biodiversity, how to support local beekeepers and the global impact of Colony Collapse Disorder due to habitat loss and climate change. We will be speaking to her about her personal experiences in beekeeping, how it has enhanced her life and the lives of others, and how we can take steps as individuals to ensure the survival of these essential creatures.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Simplecast, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
- How has human activity and interventions affected bee populations?
- Why are bees important and what is the profound impact that bees have on our everyday lives?
- Washington DC’s healthy and robust bee population.
- The difference between honey bees and native bees
- Learn more about Colony Collapse Disorder
Resources Mentioned:
- Tierney Monahan
- DC Beekeepers
- Beyond Honey
- Community Food Rescue
- Finding the Mother Tree
- The Overstory
- Kirsten Shockey @kirstenkshockey
- Christy Johnson @christijay
- Eva Kosmas Flores @evakosmasflores
- Original music composed, performed, and produced by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026.
Guest Info
Connect with Tierney on Twitter @TierneyMonahan
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