Thank You 2022 & Cheers To 2023
Aloha and welcome to my blog launch of seasonal musings!
After a decade of chasing wild bees on O'ahu and building up my organization, I’m stoked to share more reflections this year through writing and other mediums. The content will be a mix of personal and professional lifestyle like a kaleidoscope lens with hexagon fractals. Anyone that’s allergic to bees, mindfulness, magical realism or my style of alliteration has the choice to unsubscribe at any time.
Let’s begin with a year-in-review for 2022… My word is “resilience” in a time of global disasters and local challenges. When change is afoot, I have learned to surrender and trust the unfolding of it all. I envision the unknown as a black canvas with shimmering stars waiting patiently for dreams to manifest. Even difficult tasks like moving 25 beehives from my main apiary in Waimānalo and recalibrating my business are blessings in disguise. It took me six weeks to find a suitable sanctuary for half of the hives because none of the other locations had vehicle access to where I would install a bee yard (which is crucial).
I met Ryan Ringuette and Louella Aquino, caretakers of Serikaku Farm in the Waiāhole Forest Reserve, through GROW Externships at the end of January. They agreed to a private partnership allowing me to keep a baker’s dozen of my colonies on their land. The rest of the bees were relocated to a newly built observation structure at Hoa 'Āina O Mākaha. This additional apiary unit is next to the original bee barn that houses four of my oldest hives and is a classroom for students of all ages.
With approval from the staff, board of directors, and leaseholders of Hoa 'Āina O Mākaha — the non-profit farm is now the new venue for my mentorship program, Beelieve University. I opened the doors to Cohort 2 of “Intro to Ethical Beekeeping” on March 31st and the course ran every Thursday till July 28th. Teaching a triad of women united by a fondness of bees and observing their growth is such a fulfilling experience. I get to see how caring for these extraordinary insects and their habitats gives my students purpose.
Just as I was settling into my early spring transition, I receive news that I have to move again. This time it’s out of my home office in upper Pālolo Valley by September at the latest. After four months of searching, I finally found a queen loft with a lanai view of Diamond Head and the ocean in Kaimuki. Although new life cycles are exciting, packing up my cottage business of eight years and snapping a photo of the cradle, quintessential studio was bittersweet.
My word for 2022 evolved into “regenerate” once I returned from traveling to the Pacific Northwest on August 17th. The moment I deplaned, I had to jump on a Zoom meeting with XLR8HI’s Cohort 5 of preX. We were wrapping up an intensive 4-week virtual investment readiness and business scaling program. As an entrepreneurial networking opportunity, I made a commitment to revive my strategy and find a media group that could help me produce BU’s curriculum in an online hub. Nudged by my intuition to finish the course, I met Jeff (founder of Orig Media and former preX graduate) toward the end in one of XLR8HI’s group chats.
When the hive mind is clearly connected and honey heart is fully open, there is much space for miracles to occur in geometric ways. I knew I would meet a producer or videographer and Jeff Orig is both. To secure his position as the director of this mega 20-week production, we had a few remote meetings over the span of 4 months. Building relationships and bonding with colleagues/clientele is an important virtue that I prioritize so there is clarity in the work we weave together. Stay tuned for behind the scenes stories of filming Beelieve University’s introductory course running from March 16 - June 29, 2023!!!
Since we’re on the subject of mentorship again, let’s close this inaugural musing with a formal invitation to anyone on O'ahu interested in ethical beekeeping. Applications for Cohort 3, which is an in-person program, close on February 15, 2023. Upon acceptance, a mandatory orientation will take place on March 9th at Hoa 'Āina O Mākaha. Cohort 3 will meet every Thursday from 10 am - 2 pm.
My path as a kumu (teacher) is a grand privilege I never take for granted. It provides an endless journey of fantasy based on my capacity to imagine and interpret knowledge. This is why I love mentoring children. Adults are merely big kids that tend to worry because there’s so much trouble in the world. I know I have a gift to guide these big kids and remind them what it’s like to live in wonder.
Through my kaleidoscope lens, I show my students more than visual perception. I invite them to close their eyes and tune into the enigma of Apis mellifera by becoming one with the species. The matriarchy within a beehive holds all the sacred mystery of its environment and will indicate when conditions are off balance. This symbiosis is a blueprint of how we, as human beings, can be of service to our Mother planet.
I am clearly here as a benevolent messenger sharing honeybee wisdom with all my relations — from ancient to now.
Email me at beelievehawaii@gmail.com if you have questions about mentorship.
