The United Nations’ World Bee Day is celebrated on Monday, 20th May, and aims to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. Their goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminating hunger in developing countries.
World Bee Day also happens to fall during Laudato Si’ Week. This commemorates the anniversary of Pope Francis’ world-changing papal encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home” and is a week in which the Columban Missionaries join Pope Francis in listening to the ‘cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.’ Over the course of the week, Catholic communities are encouraged to participate in daily actions that aim to inspire ecological conversion, promote sustainable transportation and food, and reduce waste.
“The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us.
We have no such right.”
The United Nations’ World Bee Day is celebrated on Monday, 24th May, and aims to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. Their goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminating hunger in developing countries.
World Bee Day also happens to fall during Laudato Si’ Week. This commemorates the anniversary of Pope Francis’ world-changing papal encyclical letter, ‘Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home’ and is a week in which the Columban Missionaries join Pope Francis in listening to the ‘cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.’ Over the course of the week, Catholic communities are encouraged to participate in daily actions that aim to inspire ecological conversion, promote sustainable transportation and food, and reduce waste.
Passionate about the environment and campaigning for climate action, the Columbans in Britain are eager to protect ecological diversity in the gardens of our head office, located on Widney Manor Road in Solihull. In the spirit of Laudato Si’, the region’s Creation Covenant Working Group decided it would be beneficial to re-wild part of our gardens, adding wildflower meadows, small saplings, and beehives among other things, to increase natural habitats and ecosystems for local insects and wildlife.
The Columbans approached the Solihull Beekeepers Association and asked if there was a beekeeper nearby who would like to keep bees in the garden. Sheila Vanhouse, who lives locally to the Columban house, jumped at the opportunity to keep her four hives here on Columban grounds.
“It was very timely for me as I’ve kept my bees at home in my garden for the last 10 years and I was looking to move them and find an alternative home. This site is ideal for my hives. There’s lots for the bees to forage, there’s plenty of shelter from the sun and importantly my hives are safe and well protected.”
Insect pollination of flowering plants is responsible for the majority of the world’s flowering diversity and is an essential part of plant reproduction. “Bees collect nectar as well as pollen, which is their source of protein, vitamins, and minerals,” explains Sheila. “As they collect the pollen, it sticks to their bodies and as they move from plant to plant, they transfer the pollen, which helps to aid fertilization and to make seeds. The aim of most living organisms, including plants, is to produce offspring for the next generation and to do this, they must make seeds.”
Honeybees are a crucial component of food production and pollinate approximately 80 per cent of our flowering crops. They are responsible for a third of the food that we eat. Examples of bee-pollinated crops include watermelons, cantaloupe, citrus, apples, cucumbers, squash, most berry crops, broccoli, nuts, and asparagus.
“Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures
are dependent on one another.”
It’s a sad fact, but insects are declining throughout the world and face many threats. It’s thought that habitat loss, including the loss of wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and mature trees, coupled with the increased use of pesticides and insecticides, are the cause of this since there is less variety of forage for bees. Without adequate plant pollination, we are likely to see more and more misshapen and colourless crops and blander diets.
When asked what we can do at home to increase forage for bees, Sheila explains, “A great way to support bees in our gardens is to grow a good mix of flowering plants that can provide nectar, pollen, and nesting habitats for bees. Single open flowers, for example, cosmos and hellebore, where you can see the central part of the flower, are great for bees. Bees see the colour purple more clearly than any other colour, so lavender and allium are good choices for gardens too. Tubular-shaped flowers such as foxgloves, honeysuckle, penstemons, and snapdragons are brilliant for bees also!”
Sheila adds, “People can consider letting their grass grow longer to encourage dandelions since they are a great source of pollen. Leaving hedgerows and brambles to grow naturally is great if you have the space, and finding alternative, more natural ways to control insects is also of benefit to bees.”
A concern for the integrity of God’s creation is essential to the living out of the Gospel and this has been central to the Columban mission since 1976. Columban Missionaries stand in solidarity with and are evangelized by, the poor, marginalized, and the wounded earth. We are called to both safeguard ecological biodiversity as a revelation of God and to listen to Creation as it speaks to us through ecological crises such as Climate Change.
Columban Missionaries have seen first-hand the devastating effects of the climate crisis in the Sindh Province of Pakistan, which experienced terrible monsoon flooding in 2022. More than 1,700 people lost their lives and almost 13,000 were injured. Many families lost their homes. Nearly eight million people were displaced, and at least two million houses were destroyed. Over two million acres of cultivated crops were wiped out, and many hundreds of thousands of livestock were lost, leading to food shortages and food inflation in the following months.
Columbans, driven by our faith and first hand experiences with communities at the forefront of the climate crisis, have always championed the causes of education and advocacy for nature. In an inspiring effort to connect communities across the globe in environmental stewardship, primary schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham have recently partnered with the Higaonon indigenous community on the island of Mindanao in Southern Philippines. This collaboration is part of the Higaonon Tree Growing Project: Seeds of Change, facilitated by the Columbans in Britain. The project aims to engage children in Birmingham with the vital task of nurturing our planet, whilst fostering a deep connection with the rich ecosystems of the Philippines. This demonstrates our continued commitment to protecting creation and living out Laudato Si.
