Feel Good Friday: Hives for Humanity Supports Bees and People Through Urban Beekeeping

By TJ Carter Published July 31, 2015

feel good friday hives for humanity supports bees and people through urban beekeeping bee — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Honey is one of the greatest, underappreciated resources on the planet. It’s natural and delicious, yet it’s slowly becoming harder to come by. According to a nationwide survey, more than 40 percent of honeybee hives died between April 2014 and April 2015. The precise cause of this die-off is tricky to pin down; still, researchers suspect a combination of mites, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and commercial pesticides.

To help honeybees –and honey – make a comeback, Hives for Humanity is encouraging more people to take up urban beekeeping. The Vancouver-based non-profit organization, created in 2012, offers beekeeping workshops and other resources for budding apiculturists (fancy word for beekeeper).

bee people — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The bees aren’t the only ones to benefit from Hives for Humanity’s efforts. In fact, their main goal is to use beekeeping as a means of promoting therapeutic mentorship and non-destructive activities in Vancouver’s traditionally crime-ridden Downtown Eastside neighborhood.

Recommended Videos

Hives for Humanity is firmly rooted in Vancouver at the moment, but they’re doing some wonderful, positive things that the rest of us should think about; like the honeybees they keep, Hives for Humanity is building a community. Maybe urban beekeeping won’t make us all join hands in harmony, but shoot, it couldn’t hurt, right?

Related: Sweeten the Deal with Savannah Bee’s Honey

In a world of climate change, honeybee die-offs, and myriad other problems facing the natural world, it’s refreshing to see folks blur the line a bit between natural and urban environments. Urban beekeeping can help increase bee populations, encourage them to pollinate trees and plants throughout our cities; and of course, increase the amount of sweet, delicious honey in the world.

honey — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you happen to be in the Vancouver, B.C. area, you can purchase Hives for Humanity candles, salves, balms, tinctures, and honey at local stores. If you like their pluck, you can also swing by the Hastings Urban Farm for beekeeping workshops or team-building exercises. The rest of us can just look up our local bee clubs and go from there.

Visit Hives for Humanity’s donate page to help support their cause.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

TJ Carter wears many hats, both figuratively and literally. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a degree…

Culture

The best shows to binge on Peacock in February

Lots of NBC hits are on Peacock now — here are the best shows to watch

Gabriel Macht wearing a light gray suit

There are definitely too many streaming services. Thanks to Netflix's revolution, every broadcast network and parent company decided that they had to get in on the streaming wars. Peacock TV is NBC Universal's streaming service, and although it may not seem like the most attractive option, there are actually a number of great Peacock movies and shows available on the service that are hard to find anywhere else.
Some of those popular shows are Peacock streaming originals, although there are plenty that initially aired on NBC or elsewhere and have found their way to Peacock thanks in part to the complicated nature of TV rights. Regardless, though, Peacock speaks to the impressive legacy of NBC Television. Growing up, I watched many of these shows as part of my regular nighttime routine. Now, thankfully, they're available at our fingertips anytime. Looking for more streaming options? We also have your guide to the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, and the best shows on Paramount+.

Suits (2011)

Culture

What channel is the Super Bowl on?

Wondering how to watch Super Bowl? There are quite a few ways, it turns out

The Super Bowl trophy being held up

It's Super Bowl season, people. The stage is set, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9, 2025. The world will be watching to see if the Chiefs or the Eagles hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the game (well, some will be more concerned with how many times Travis Kelce superfan Taylor Swift will be shown, but we digress). You may have the big screen and all the requisite Super Bowl appetizers, but what channel is the Super Bowl on?

Although it's the biggest sporting event in America, I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to try to find the game itself. It changes channels every year, and is likely to be that way forever!

Culture

10 famous speeches in history that continue to stand the test of time

These speeches helped shape world history

Martin Luther King Jr. March on Washington 1963

A great speech is something that combines persuasive writing, comfort with public speaking (something that I know that I personally need to work on), and a meaningful message to create an impression greater than the sum of its parts.

There's no one set of rules to govern the ideal speech, and plenty of people struggle with them even with teams of experts to help them out -- just see the majority of speeches given by politicians. But once in a while, a truly great speaker and a truly great speech come together to create something that stands out and withstands the test of time, carrying meaning with it through generations, even to those who weren't yet born when it was given. That holds true for me, a number of speeches on this list were given before I was born, but they still resonate with me.