Biodynamic Beekeeping talk & Workshop with Gunther Hauk
Maine Coast Waldorf School and co-sponsors Avena Botanicals and Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment are pleased to present two wonderful opportunities to hear biodynamic beekeeper Gunther Hauk of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary in Virginia speak and to attend a workshop with him.
Public Talk by Gunther Hauk:
The Honeybee Crisis: Real Causes and Solutions
Friday, October 12, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Maine Coast Waldorf School, 57 Desert Rd, Freeport
$10 suggested donation at the door
In this talk on Friday evening, Gunther will present a deeper picture of that being we call the honeybee and what brings it so close to our hearts. He will put the bee crisis into a larger context historically, as well as its connection to other crises we are in – agricultural, economic, social, and spiritual. Gunther will then give indications of what will help us overcome the crisis.
Biodynamic Beekeeping Workshop with Gunther Hauk:
Saturday, October 13, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Maine Coast Waldorf School, 57 Desert Rd, Freeport
$60.00 per person. Snacks will be provided but lunch is BYO.
In this workshop Gunther will begin with a brief look at the development of beekeeping in the last 2000 years. Understanding the complexity of this creature’s instinct from a spiritual point of view will let us regain the awe and wonder inherent in this highly evolved insect. We will search for what actually has driven all the inventions on which current professional and most hobby beekeeping rely. A logical examination of these practices in view of the impact on the honeybee’s health, will let us arrive at beekeeping methods that respect the honeybees’ very own needs and further their health. Through their suffering, the honeybees are calling us to radically change our relationship to all the animals we raise, and challenging us to become stewards of the kingdoms of nature rather than exploiters. Topics will include:
- A brief historical sketch: from the sacred to the mundane
- Understanding the colony as one organism
- The vital importance of swarming and having naturally raised queens
- What is wax really? Working without foundations
- Mites, hive beetles, foulbrood, etc.
- Treatments and teas
- Pros and cons of different hive forms and materials
- Bee forage, care of the land
REGISTRATION & PAYMENT FOR WORKSHOP: The cost for the workshop is $60/person. Snacks will be provided but lunch is BYO. Registration is not considered complete until payment is made.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER & PAY FOR THE WORKSHOP
Gunther Hauk has been a biodynamic gardener and beekeeper for over four decades. In his book “Toward Saving the Honeybee” (2002) he called for a radical change in beekeeping methods to help avert a great crisis. Gunther has been featured in two full-length documentary films about the honeybee crisis – “Queen of the Sun” (2010) and “Vanishing of the Bees” (2009), and he also produced his own educational film “Hour of Decision” (2015). In 2006 Gunther and his wife Vivian co-founded Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary now located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on 25 acres near Floyd, Virginia. Their workshops and training in Sustainable Biodynamic Beekeeping serve beekeepers throughout the USA and Canada .