May Day, known as Lei Day in Hawai‘i, is the midpoint between spring equinox and summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Three years shy of being a century-old celebration in the Islands, it marks the beginning of kau (dry season) based on the traditional Hawaiian moon calendar.

In alignment with this observation is the midterm completed by Cohort 5 of Virtual Beelieve University’s 16-week “Intro to Ethical Beekeeping” course. Since my students reside in O‘ahu and requested in-person learning during their interviews, I decided to pivot and offer half of the classes as Hybrid Hive Demos. We meet from 10-12 pm on scheduled Thursdays in Wai‘anae for hands-on lessons. The boundless benefit they have is lifetime access to online curriculum and downloadable content through Teachable. This transition into a virtual platform has been in demand since Cohort 1 so it’s quite exciting to finally have my course available beyond Hawai‘i. The waitlist for Cohort 6 is already open for applicants and the semester will run from March 5 - June 18, 2026.

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Flashback to the day after Cohort 5 of VBU began, the PolliNature Spelling Bee for Mākaha Elementary’s third graders was held on March 14th at Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha. In the final round, there were six contestants from three classes combined. Surprisingly, the most challenging vocabulary word out of the 25 they had to study was “species”. As the Queen Bee calling the shots, I decided to give a wild card chance to another student because the top finalists were incorrect. Although emotional and bashful, this young girl stood amongst her peers and won first place.

On March 21st, Beelieve Hawaii celebrated a decade of partnership with Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha. More than its meaning: “Land of Mākaha Shared in Friendship”, the farm is a sacred haven that has felt like home since the first day I walked through the gates. It is a place where keiki plant seeds of hope and learn how to cultivate genuine connections from their open hearts. Like a motherly embrace, this oasis has held tender space for thousands of students locally and internationally for 45+ years.

Hoa ‘Āina is a trailblazer in the nonprofit realm of nurturing community through place-based education, sustainable local food production, and peacemaking. What an honor it has been these past 10 years to be a steward of this sanctuary by maintaining the apiary, providing pollination, and teaching the youth. I look to the farm’s founders, Gigi & Judy Cocquio, with immense admiration for their commitment in building such a purposeful organization that perpetually uplifts the village.

When I served as president on the Board of Directors in the core of the pandemic, I was able to see through their lenses of selflessness. I witnessed the relentless work it takes to run a successful nonprofit. To Gigi & Judy, Hoa ‘Āina was never a business. Caring for the farm was their way of life and they didn’t consider themselves separate from the fertile soil touched by so many people. Being their protégé and dear friend, I cherish them as kūpuna leaders for embodying humility within a society that battles for ego driven validation. Their mission of “creating peaceful communities in harmony with nature” is woven into my own pollinator-friendly world. Beelieve Hawaii would not be what it is today without their guidance all these years and I am eternally grateful beyond words.

Seven weeks have flown by since springtime has started and I’ve been waiting to share some bittersweet yet thrilling news… I’ll be moving to the North Shore of Kaua‘i at the end of June and expanding my services to another island! On April 25th, my beloved assisted me in moving hives from the Waiāhole Forest Reserve so I can have closure with that apiary and focus on the horizon ahead. A week later, I returned alone to load hive stands, pull up weed mat, and offer my last prayers to the habitat that held my bees for three years. In the final moment of my farewell as I was hiking down to sing to the stream, a blessing rain fell for less than a minute. A feeling of melancholy but also reciprocity of respect sprinkled over me and I thanked the forest for loving me equally.