The Habitat Crisis #4 - Bee and Butterfly Fund (302)

In this final episode of our month-long Habitat Crisis series, made possible by the Minnesota Honey Producers Association, Jeff and Becky are joined by Pete Berthelsen and Zac Browning to discuss the critical role habitat restoration plays in supporting honey bee health and overall pollinator well-being. Pete and Zac are leaders of The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund, a program that has been making significant strides in creating high-quality, sustainable pollinator habitats. In this conversation, they share success stories of how their innovative projects have restored honey bee forage and even brought back native bee species in areas where they had previously disappeared.

Listeners will hear about the challenges of habitat loss, the importance of preparing land for pollinator-friendly planting, and how well-managed habitats can make a measurable difference for beekeepers and wildlife alike. Zac offers personal insights into how the program has transformed his own apiary, making it one of his top-producing sites. This episode is filled with practical advice for landowners, farmers, and beekeepers who want to contribute to pollinator health while benefiting from the ripple effects on other species, like monarch butterflies and pheasants.

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Websites we recommend:

• Bee & Habitat Fund: https://www.beeandbutterflyfund.org
• NASA Honey Bee Net Website: https://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  
• Minnesota Honey Producers Association: https://minnesotahoneyproducers.com/
• Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org
• The National Honey Board: https://honey.com

• Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com
• 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast: https://2millionblossoms.com

Copyright © 2024 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

The Habitat Crisis Series is presented by the Minnesota Honey Producers Association. The Minnesota Honey Producers Association (MHPA) is comprised of commercial, sideliner, and backyard beekeepers and has promoted Minnesota beekeeping since the early 1900's. The recently established MHPA Habitat Program aims to provide information about vital honey bee habitat and nutrition issues by: 1) informing and uniting beekeepers around efforts to promote honey bee habitat; 2) supporting opportunities to increase honey bee habitat; and 3) improving communication about honey bee and pollinator habitat to landowners, farmers, and legislators.

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Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode!

Thanks to Bee Smart Designs as a sponsor of this podcast! Bee Smart Designs is the creator of innovative, modular and interchangeable hive systems made in the USA using recycled and American sourced materials. Bee Smart Designs - Simply better beekeeping for the modern beekeeper.

HiveAlive offers a unique supplement with seaweed extracts, thyme, and lemongrass, proven to maintain low disease levels, increase bee populations, boost honey production, improve bee gut health, and enhance overwinter survival. Check out their new HiveAlive EZ Feed Super Syrup this fall! Visit www.usa.hivealivebees.com and use code "BTP" for a special discount.

Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about heir line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com

Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry.

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We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com

Thank you for listening!

Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott.

Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC

Copyright © 2024 by Growing Planet Media, LLC