Attic Bee Podcast

Interview with Valerie Wampler

Did you know that it's possible to raise not just honeybees, but also native bees? In this episode, you'll hear from Valerie Wampler, a full-time federal employee (I'm sending love to all of you out there!!) and full-time beekeeper. She cares for her hives, teaches classes on queen rearing, making nucs and splits, rendering beeswax and using it for bath & body products, and now...harvesting mason bees!
Hear from Valerie on the importance of giving back, being part of a supportive community, and advocating for all aspects of the environment, including our dear little pollinators. For more information on the classes she teaches through MSBA and beyond, you may email her at valwampler@yahoo.com.
 

Intro to Nature Therapy

What is nature therapy? In several episodes of this podcast, my guests and I talk about the mental health benefits of beekeeping. I may also have mentioned I was recently certified as a Nature Therapy Guide. This episode briefly explains nature therapy and how you can easily incorporate it. You don't even have to be the outdoorsy type. Your body and mind will thank you!
To learn more, reach out to me at www.AtticBeeLLC.com 

Interview with Katelin & Eric Frase

The owners of Vintage Family Farms joined me to talk about their flower farm operation and the importance of allowing pollinators to thrive. Their approach to farming, agritourism, and "flowertainment" is intriguing AND admirable!

Interview with Monica Schmitt

To learn more about Monica's work and the learning opportunities available, visit the Mission Beelieve website.
You may also want to check out the other organizations Monica mentioned: 
Hives For Heroes
Heroes to Hives at Michigan State University Extension
Eastern Apicultural Society

Interview with Maureen Jais-Mick

As an instructor for beginning beekeepers and the manager of the Montgomery County Beekeepers Association teaching apiary, Maureen has knowledge and experience that will benefit anyone contemplating beekeeping, as well as those who have already gotten started.
Our conversation covers aspects of managing a teaching apiary, the wonderful diversity of the beekeeping community, and a little bit about native bees. She mentions a couple of organizations that MCBA has supported, including Mission Beelieve and the work of Sam Droege from USGS, both of which are worth learning more about.

Interview with Anna Chaney

Honey's Harvest Farm hosts a variety of workshops and retreats that nourish both body and spirit. Additionally, Anna and her team offer a wonderful variety of healthy, delicious, and beneficial products. Visit their website to learn more and to sign up for one of their upcoming programs.
I'm especially excited about the apitherapy workshop on February 8 and the functional energetic healing workshop on February 23! Maybe I'll see you there.

Interview with Kim Mehalick

For more information on some of the topics Kim and I cover in this episode, click on the links below:
Clean Bee Soapworks
Books by Dr. Tom Seeley
Nancy Grace Roman Telescope 
Beekeeping Year 2 and Beyond: Class starts January 13, 2025. Email Kim at kimnmike89@verizon.net
EAS Master Beekeeper Program
Cornell Beekeeping Program
University of Montana Beekeeping Program
University of Florida Beekeeping Program
BUMBA: Bowie Upper Marlboro Beekeepers Association
Anne Arundel Beekeepers Association
DC Beekeepers Alliance
James Webb Space Telescope (“JWST”)
Snelgrove Boards
MSBA (Maryland State Beekeepers Association)
 

Thanksgiving 2024

In this brief episode, I share a few thoughts on Robin Wall Kimmerer's book, Braiding Sweetgrass, which I recently read and absolutely LOVED. As a professor of ecology and a woman with Native American heritage, Dr. Kimmerer shares her thoughts and research on many aspects of the natural world through those significant lenses.
One of the indigenous practices she shares in the book is the recitation of a Thanksgiving Address. This recitation isn't related to our American holiday, per se. Rather, it's a reminder of how connected we are to the natural world and how much we have to be thankful for it every single day. Hopefully, it also inspires us to take better care of all our natural wonders, including each other.
For this recording, I read a translation from the Mohawk version of this address, which I found on the National Museum of the American Indian website. I hope you enjoy it and take time to venture outdoors, reciting your own thanksgiving address.

Interview with Tammy Horn Potter

I hope you enjoy my interview with Dr. Tammy Horn Potter! Using the links, you can learn more about the Beginner Beekeeping Program at Kentucky State University as well as their Small Farm Development Program.
Tammy's books include the following:
Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation
Beeconomy: What Women and Bees Can Teach Us about Local Trade and the Global Market
Flower Power: Establishing Pollinator Habitat
Work I Knew I Must
Whenever possible, please support independent book stores; they need our business!
And, as a correction to something Tammy said about the percentage of farmers in the U.S. who are women, she sent me the census data that shows women make up 36% of the nation's farmers. I'm sorry that neither that document nor the photo of the autoclave are able to be attached here; they're both remarkable! 
 

Necessary Retreat

Death is an unfortunate part of our life experience. At times, it can completely derail us. And when it does, we need to step back before stepping forward again.
The Attic Bee Podcast is back with a few tweaks to our programming. While we're going to continue interviewing amazing women in beekeeping, we're also going to introduce the healing power of nature, which is always available when we need it, through guided nature therapy practices.
Thank you for your patience while I've been "away." I hope you enjoy reconnecting with me and my guests in the upcoming episodes.