The Last Beekeeper

Mom and I watched this documentary tonight on Planet Green. The film is part of the Reel Impact eco documentary series that premiered tonight. Some of the movies in the series are making their television premiere and I am so excited that these films are finally reaching a wider audience.

The Last Beekeeper follows the lives of three commerical beekeepers in 2008. Each beekeeper travels with their bees to California to pollinate the almond orchards. This pollination is the biggest beekeeping event of the year and 75% of all beekeepers take their hives to California to participate. The beekeepers in the film travel from Washington, Montana, and South Carolina, and their pilmgrimage is remarkable.

The beekeepers' biggest challenge is that their bees are dying. The film documents how the beekeepers deal with the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and how it personally affects them. All the beekeepers are so different and it's very interesting to watch how and why they care for their bees.

CCD has devasted bees to the point that if the current rates of decline continue, there will be no more honeybees in the U.S. by 2035. This may seem like a long way off, but Mom always tells me that time flies when you're having fun. When you realize that no more bees means no more food, the shock of this disorder really hits home. This is a problem for everyone; not just the beekeepers.

You can watch the trailer for the film here. The film repeats again tomorrow. Check your local listings for the time. Hopefully it won't conflict with all the football games. If there is a conflict, please TIVO or DVR the film because it is so worth watching.

If you read my honeybee book review last month, you know how concerned I am about the bees. We need them and without them we are doomed. Please learn about the honeybee and do your part to protect them.