Einstein is regularly quoted as saying that if all the bees disappear, mankind has four years left on the planet. It’s another case of the Geman genius being loaded with something he probably never said, but the point remains.
The buzz of bees is like the heartbeat of our natural world – no bees means no pollination, no pollination means no plants, no plants means… you get the picture.
Long-time Stoneybatter resident Kaethe Burt-O’Dea is on a crusade to raise awareness of how essential our fuzzy black and yellow friends are.
A champion of urban biodiversity and community engagement, Kaethe has made her base in the delightful Bí Urban on Manor Street, known locally as ‘the bee shop’.
There, to a background of birdsong and apian humming, you can buy prints, cards, small gifts, eco-friendly cleaning products and a range of bee-based products like honey soap and beeswax candles. You can also get your hands on some local-as-you-can-get honey with Dublin post codes on the labels. The shop is a hive of activity, with regular workshops and events.
The May programme so far already includes a workshop on making a healing a balm with locally foraged medicinal plants (May 6), creating your own signature scent with essential oils, a three-day green wood stool making workshop (May 5, 12 and 13) and a six-part bee stewardship workshop series, running from May 20 through to July.
For more details, visit desireland.ie
Words: Rachel Donnelly
