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We've been getting ready for summer at Doheny State Beach! Board President KC Kinnings and Board Member Kip Kinnings had fun with some of the new Doheny items that have come in....
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Voices of Nature and Voices for Nature
Part One by Doheny Park Naturalist Vicki
Buzzzzzzz!
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I was fortunate to take a stroll in the hills of the backcountry on the one and only day of rain in the month of “April showers” this week. The air was crisp! The plants were clean! The flowers were vibrant and the bees, well the bees were buzzing in delight!
Once upon a time that sound alarmed me for as crazy as it sounds, bees were the only creatures that frightened me. Perhaps it was their stingers and my reaction to them? Maybe it was the fact that they cluster in massive numbers? However, in time I made peace with them in the desert and came to realize their crucial role in life.
Bees buzz about feeding on nectar and spread pollen from flower to flower providing us humans with so many harvests. Fruits! Flowers! Honey, oh my! What would a cup of herbal tea be like without a dollop of honey? And how could we do a warm summer day without a chunk of watermelon? Kind of sad, if you ask me?!
That’s why when I hear that bee populations are declining it hurts my heart. There are many theories out there: loss of habitat, loss of food source, climate change, herbicides, pesticides, and etc. However, I try to always see life as a half full cup. So, I am convinced that there are things that us humans, as the gate-keepers of Planet Earth, can do to keep those bees alive.
Perhaps start by planting bee-friendly flowers (preferably natives to your region) and while you’re at it, remind those little ones not to pick the bees food (flowers). Another wonderful way to protect those buzzers is to hand remove weeds in lieu of spraying herbicide. And there is no need to use pesticide when you can suds up those buggers with an eco-friendly pest wash. Trust me, simple gestures like that go a long way especially when you share your wisdom with family and friends….call it the ripple effect! Speaking of which, if you encounter a cluster, don’t call a bee vacuum guy. Better yet, call a bee boy so they can relocate them or put them into a hive to make that rich honey (eh, El Capitan Kirk?).
So, maybe, just maybe the next time you see or hear the buzz of a bee you will thank them for their hard work! Or if you see one laying in the sun you can gently relocate it so it doesn’t get stepped on! Thanks for being a “Voice for Nature” one creature at a time ~*~
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One of the moray eels in the Visitor Center has been very active!
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Spring Pop Up Shop Hours
We're on the Doheny State Beach Boardwalk, steps from the Main Parking Lot
- Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays 10 am - 4 pm
Hope you are having a great spring!
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Next Board of Directors Meeting via Zoom is May 20 at 7 pm. Email kwadedoheny@gmail.com for link.
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