#black beekeeper

[bumblebeeappletree]

In the midst of a widespread honeybee decline across the US, Nicole Rivera Hartery has made it her mission to provide accessible beekeeping classes to people of all ages in her community.

Through hands-on hive tours at Palmyra Cove Nature Reserve and educational programs for kids in classrooms, Nicole is working to dismantle a fear of insects, deepen respect for pollinators, and remind us all that bees—and women who care for them—are vital threads in the fabric of our ecosystems.

Women of the Earth, produced by Summer Moon Productions, featuring stories of women across America who are leading a new movement to restore and protect the land. By focusing on women in land stewardship roles, the series will explore women’s unique relationship to the earth and their innovative undertakings to heal the earth from climate change.

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[theafroqueerizedbeekeeper]

DCBGN members are going to be at Rooting DC tomorrow! Hope to see some of you there!

[theafroqueerizedbeekeeper]

Reporting live from a cherry picker. This was my first hive extraction!! This has been quite the exciting week. 

[theafroqueerizedbeekeeper]

This Happened: Beekeeping and Beers was a Pop-up fundraiser for Shawty Got Skillz. Want to help support a Black beekeeper and an amazing collective of skilled people of color? Donate $5 Today!  

Some friends came over to see my hive. Both are generally fascinated by all things rural and agrarian but neither had ever been around a hive. One donned a veil and one went without. One was on smoker duty (gotta keep it stoked) and the other took these amazing photos. They asked amazing questions and we geeked out about bees until almost sunset. Who knew beekeeping was a great way to make friends?

Oh yeah, and we found the queen I had been looking for. I have questions about supercedure cells now. Any experts out there? 

[theafroqueerizedbeekeeper]

caught a swarm today. now it's my new hive.

[theafroqueerizedbeekeeper]

Yep, that's me! This photo, taken my the lovely Maxine of Side Hustle Stories was selected for the 2012 DCist Exposed Photography Show. I need to find an outfit for the opening. 

This is the third hive I had last season and the only one to make it through to this year. They were spunky (Stung me 4 times the first time I handled them) but I now open my hives without all this equipment. It's from a Maryland beekeeper's nucleus hive (the other two were from packages).

I'm excited to be starting a few more hives this year from nucs. I use foundation-less frames and aspire to practice my brand of natural beekeeping with other hives. I'll post pics soon.