Last evening I watched a program on PBS – My Garden of a Thousand Bees. I was in awe at the incredibly close up images that photographer, Martin Dohrn, was able to capture in his small Bristol, England garden. During last year’s COVID lockdown, the wildlife photographer decided to film the bees that were emerging, along with the flowers that they depend on. Over the span of a few months, he observed about 60 different bee species. I was mesmerized, not only by the bees but by the lovely, wild garden that comprised his yard. The bees sounded like miniature helicopters as they darted from flower to flower. Like butterflies, each bee species has specific flowers that it instinctively flies to.
I feel an incredible sense of excitement every time I hear or see documentation that illustrates the intelligence in other species. That other life forms have intelligence and emotions, is something that I have always known intuitively. Most people, especially those with strong Christian influence, want to deny that animals, and especially plants, are anything more than inanimate objects. Untold cruelty has been inflicted upon other species for centuries; but humans are waking up to the fact that the lives we share this planet with, have just as much right to be here as we do. Not only do they have a right to be here – they all have an important purpose for their existence.
I saw a recent post on Facebook where someone had befriended a wingless bee. It is heartwarming whenever we can witness the loving bonds that form (surprisingly more often than you would think) between humans and wildlife and between two different species. Regardless of the life form that we inhabit, we all require food, water, and shelter. We are only just beginning to recognize and appreciate the diversity of life on this planet. Ancient civilizations and indigenous people that lived close to the land, understood and honored other life. Humans have always known that we need each other. What most have not known is that we need bees and other insects, too. Or maybe we are just remembering what we have always known.
