기본 콘텐츠로 건너뛰기

This community group is building a buzz around bee education in Southern Arizona

 

This community group is building a buzz around bee education in Southern Arizona



In the dry, sun-scorched desert landscape of Tucson, a group of dedicated individuals is working tirelessly to protect one of nature's most vital creatures: the honeybee. 

The Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association (SAZBA) has been a cornerstone in the local community since 2017, working to foster a deeper understanding of beekeeping and raise awareness about the ecological importance of bees in the Sonoran Desert.

Since 2017, the Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association has grown into a hub for both seasoned apiarists, newcomers eager to learn the delicate art of beekeeping and community members just looking to gain more knowledge about local bees. 

With over 100 active members, the organization serves as a platform for education, resource-sharing and community building, all while aiming to address the critical issues affecting the bee population in Southern Arizona.

“Bees are essential for the Southern Arizona landscape,” said SAZBA member and educator Monica King, who’s been a part of the organization since 2017. “Without them, we wouldn’t have the food supply we rely on daily. More than 75% of flowering plants depend on pollinators and Tucson is a hotspot for biodiversity. Bees are at the core of this web of life.”

Despite their importance, bees face increasing threats due to habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and diseases. These challenges have led to a worrying decline in bee populations across the globe. That’s where SAZBA comes in.

SAZBA has made education a priority, according to King. Each month, the association hosts meetings and workshops that cover a range of beekeeping topics, from hive management and honey production to dealing with pests and protecting bee health. For many local residents, these classes are an introduction to the rewarding and often mysterious world of beekeeping.

“You don’t have to be a commercial beekeeper to make a difference,” King said. “Even having a couple of hives in your backyard can provide support for local pollinators, but we want you to know how to handle and care for them properly. That’s where we come in, we educate everyone who wants to learn.”

One of the association’s most well-known programs is the “Pollination Education” initiative, which brings speakers and experts from SAZBA into local schools to educate students about the roles of bees in pollination and to encourage schools to plant native pollinator-friendly plants and install bee habitats. It’s a simple yet effective way to enhance local biodiversity and provide safe spaces for bees to thrive in urban settings.

“Last year, we individually reached out to and educated over 7,200 people, just personally interacting when they came up to us at one of our presentations at all of these different locations and events we are at. We also have that on our website, where there's the community outreach page that shows where we've all been in the community and where we're going to be coming up this spring.” 

At the heart of the program is a commitment to sustainability and community education. Tucson’s local beekeepers have become key players in the initiative, working to create proper bee habitats, educate others and sustain healthy bee communities throughout Southern Arizona. 

“We’re not just teaching people to keep bees,” King said. “We’re teaching them how to live in harmony with the environment. Bees are our partners in this process.”

King stressed that education is a top priority but the group also offers special services like removal of queen bees and relocation of hives as well. SAZBA also provides hands-on support for beekeepers.

“A lot of people reach out to the group with questions,” King said. “Most of the time it's because there's been an established hive that the homeowner starts to really trust and feel as though the bees are not dangerous and then, just not knowing bee husbandry, the bees will actually swarm and then there'll be a new queen, which will change the genetics and the defensive behavior of the colony.

“And when people don't realize that and these Africanized bees become dangerous because they have been known to go on the defensive up to 200 yards away from their initial location, this can become an issue and we are called to help guide the homeowners or come for a removal.”

King said she is part of a small team of trained professionals within the group that works with the community to offer bee removal services. King, a third-generation beekeeper, wants most of all to spread proper education and save as many bees as she can.

“When we do bee removals from unwanted locations, we can actually save those Africanized bees, kill their queen and replace it with one of our known European genetic queens,” King said. “And in a 2-3 month period the offspring are now our queen and we have a more docile hive and the bees are still around. We're able to basically save the colony from extermination.”

With over 100 active members, SAZBA serves as a platform for education, resource-sharing and community building, all while aiming to address the critical issues affecting the bee population in Southern Arizona.

While the future of bees can seem uncertain at times, SAZBA remains hopeful and committed to its mission. Through regular collaboration with other environmental groups, including the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension, SAZBA is also part of ongoing research into how local beekeepers can improve bee health in an increasingly unpredictable world, King said. 

“It’s important that we stay ahead of the curve,” King said. “With the work that SAZBA is doing, we’re able to give our bees the best chance at surviving the challenges ahead.”

One of the outreach events that King enjoys most every year is the Tucson Festival of Books where SAZBA has a table in the Science City portion of the festival. Here, they offer educational resources and insight into the association and highlight bee literature to pair with the theme of the festival. 

“We always try to reach out to our national beekeeping publishers and see what literature we can promote along with our educational material at the Tucson Festival of Books,” King said. “So that people that are interested in pollinators and things like that, when they come to our spot in Science City, we can promote both SAZBA and books on bees for the public. We will have flyers on our beekeepers' favorite books for the year and things like that. And I really love that because it's very educational and fun.”

Each year, SAZBA also tables at the Pima County Fair where members and the public have the chance to see a queen bee up close. The event is another opportunity to celebrate the hard work of Tucson’s beekeeping community and raise awareness about the importance of protecting bees.

As Tucson continues to grow, the SAZBA remains a beacon of hope for the environment and the future of local agriculture, King stressed. The organization has become a model for how communities can come together to address environmental issues and grow community education.

“We want to keep growing, keep educating and keep inspiring people to get involved,” King said. “Every hive we place, every person we educate, makes a difference.”

For more information about the Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association and its programs, visit southernazbeekeepers.org.

댓글

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

  Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering  MagR  and  Cry2  gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering  MagR  expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the  MagR  gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with  Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

  Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

  “Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups.  Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

  Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

  Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face Bees have been an integral part of our ecosystem and human agriculture for over four centuries, primarily utilized for their honey in the early days. Now, they are recognized more for their critical role in pollination, which directly impacts a vast majority of the food we consume. Mark Lilly, a prominent beekeeper, emphasizes that without bees' pollination efforts, a significant portion of our diet would be at risk. However, bees face numerous threats, including varroa mites and, in specific regions like West Virginia, black bears. These challenges necessitate concerted efforts for preservation and protection. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q1: Why are bees so important to the ecosystem? A1: Bees are crucial for pollinating plants, which is necessary for the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Without bees, a large portion of the food we eat would not be available. Q2: What are the main threats to...

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles As the number of pets in South Korea steadily increases, pet owners face a growing dilemma due to the limited number of pet cemeteries across the country. Under the current legal framework, pet remains are classified as household waste, requiring specific disposal methods that are neither convenient nor easily accessible for all citizens. The imbalance between the rising pet population—over 5.52 million households with pets by the end of 2022—and the mere 70 registered pet cemeteries has led to significant challenges. This shortage is particularly evident in regions like Jeju Island, where pet owners must undergo arduous journeys to the mainland to ensure their pets receive proper burials. The root cause of this shortage lies in the strict regulations governing the establishment of pet cemeteries. These facilities, which must include crematoriums, face numerous restrictions, such as proximity to resident...

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive

  Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive A recent study published in Nature Geoscience reveals a distressing consequence of global warming: the irreversible loss of valuable climate data stored in alpine glaciers. The research, conducted by a team led by Margit Schwikowski from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), underscores the alarming rate at which glaciers are melting and highlights the implications for climate research. The study focuses on the Corbassière glacier at Grand Combin in Switzerland, where ice cores drilled in 2018 and 2020 were intended to serve as vital climate archives. However, comparing the two sets of ice cores reveals a grim reality—global warming has rendered the glacier unsuitable as a reliable climate archive. Glaciers, renowned as climate archives, encapsulate valuable information about past climatic conditions and atmospheric compositions. The fluctuating concentrations of trace substances in ice layers provide insights into historica...

German election: Climate and environment take a back seat

  German election: Climate and environment take a back seat When the coalition government comprising the center-left  Social Democratic Party (SPD) ,  Greens  and neoliberal  Free Democratic Party (FDP)  emerged after the last German federal election in the fall of 2021, then-incoming Chancellor  Olaf Scholz  (SPD) did not object to being called the "climate chancellor." That was no surprise: the climate crisis had been a top issue during the election campaign. The new government made the fight against climate change a task for the Economy Ministry and appointed Vice Chancellor  Robert Habeck  from the Greens as its head. Three and a half years later, campaign speeches barely mention climate protection. The dominant issues are how to curb irregular immigration and how to boost Germany's sluggish economy. Skeptical view of renewable energy The head of the center-right  Christian Democratic Union (CDU) ,  Friedrich Merz ...