WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.560 Oh hey, it's that suitcase that you haven't unpacked yet. 2 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:06.480 Ali Ward, this isologies. You're here, I'm here, We're here. 3 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.679 The bees are here. The bees are everywhere. But in 4 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:14.240 the US, eighteen states have declared that their state insect 5 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:18.600 is Epis malifera, the honeybee. Here's the thing that's not 6 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:22.039 native to this continent. It's a European honeybee. It was 7 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.480 important for wax and honey and pollination. Every honeybee you 8 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:28.000 see in the US is feral. What you may not 9 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.600 know about are the native bees, the ones that have 10 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:34.880 been here for eons, yet none of them are state insects. 11 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:37.439 So today we'll meet them, and within an hour you're 12 00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:39.320 going to become the kind of person who's obsessed with 13 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:43.240 indigenous bee species. So this episode started in my backyard 14 00:00:43.399 --> 00:00:46.159 over a year ago when we decided to pair up 15 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:48.600 with my old friend David, who runs a native plant 16 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.159 nonprofit in LA. Fast forward eighteen months and we have 17 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:56.600 this thriving, buzzing hill of plants and David mentioned a 18 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:59.200 native bee expert he knew, and I begged her to 19 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.240 hang out with me. Before I knew it, she and 20 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:05.319 her camera were here making memes. What kind was that one. 21 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:10.560 It was a Holicus tripertitis. It's a little sweaty, sweaty 22 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:15.159 you know. Oh wait, she's back. She's over here. Sure, here, 23 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:22.159 she's flying away. Okay, now she's on the stem, you know, 24 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:23.000 may mean that's a good. 25 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:27.680 Place to So thisology is indigenous. Melatology comes from the 26 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:30.719 Greek word for bee. So if you know anyone named Melissa, 27 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:33.359 their name means b and you may remember that. We 28 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:36.079 did a Melatology episode in twenty eighteen that was wonderfully 29 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:39.879 informative and charming. It touched on some native bee species. 30 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.640 It also covered a lot of APIs malifera and backyard beekeeping. 31 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.079 So we are returning to the topic of bees, but 32 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.760 this time with a more focused lens, with a photographer, 33 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:53.760 an educator, or conservationist. She has been a ted X speaker, 34 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:57.719 she's a twenty twenty three National Geographic Explorer Grant recipient. 35 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:01.480 She's an author and an advocate it for these native 36 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:04.519 creatures and their habitats. She also just launched a deck 37 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.280 of flashcards all about native bees and in some of 38 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:09.919 the audio, I decided to use some outtakes from this 39 00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:12.879 interview because I got a super sneak peek at the deck, 40 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:15.479 which is for sale now and we'll be shipping later 41 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:17.560 this month, so we'll sit down with her. But first, 42 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:19.879 a quick thanks to everyone supporting the show at Patreon 43 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:22.960 dot com, slash ologies and submitted questions for telling a 44 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:26.879 friend and for rating and for wearing ologies merch Promologiesmarch 45 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:29.639 dot com. Also, you know, I read all your reviews, 46 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:34.280 including this fresh one from an unpronounceable string of consonants. 47 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:37.400 I think it looks as though it was typed with 48 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.199 the smear of an elbow, but they said, thanks to 49 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.919 this podcast, I was able to respond to my therapist 50 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.719 telling me don't drink out of a fire hose with 51 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:49.599 a full explanation of dolphin reproduction. I love that so much, 52 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.759 they say, as do. I. Okay, go grab a sun hat, 53 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.080 fill up your water bottle. Let's stare into the bushes 54 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:58.280 to meet some native bees and learn about their tunnels, turrets, 55 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:04.800 fuzzy butts, second sho amorphism, taxonomic fisticuffs, bee hotels, the 56 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:09.520 mustard blight, monocultures, the Tiniest lives talk, and how to 57 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:12.520 appreciate and photograph all of the marvels you have been 58 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:16.599 overlooking with Native melotologist Crystal Hickman. 59 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.000 My name is Crystal Hickman and my pronouns are she her. 60 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:39.599 Let's get into it now. 61 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:43.240 Were you excited about photography, the outdoors? 62 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:43.719 Bees? 63 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:46.879 Bugs? What was the door that opened for you all 64 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:47.159 of that? 65 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:47.960 Sweet. 66 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:50.599 Yeah, it's weird to say this, but I feel like 67 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:54.120 I came kind of like pre programmed because like everything 68 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.319 I was really into as like a toddler, I'm doing 69 00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:58.120 now as an adult. 70 00:03:58.479 --> 00:03:59.680 That's dope, that's amazing. 71 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:00.159 Yea. 72 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:02.520 So I was obsessed with my mom's camera. We had 73 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.360 rose bushes on the side of our house and I 74 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:07.280 used to stare at like the lady bugs and the 75 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.199 honey bees in there for hours. And I remember one 76 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:11.719 time there was a snake in our yard and I 77 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:15.520 was so excited to see it. I really love insects, photography, 78 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.319 like all of it, and it just kind of came together, 79 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:19.759 I think, like as an adult, though, I kind of 80 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.879 got away from it because like it wasn't a career. 81 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:25.759 So I went to college for like something I wasn't 82 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:28.199 even interested in, and then I started working these office 83 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:33.399 jobs and I just kind of like left with like 84 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:35.639 no backup, Like I had a little money in the bank. 85 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:37.920 But I was like, I'm gonna do every single thing 86 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:40.600 that I'm interested in and I'm just going to see 87 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:41.319 where it goes. 88 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:42.399 Oh that's great. 89 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:43.160 Yeah. 90 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:45.759 What was that day like when you decided, fuck this job, 91 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:46.279 I'm leaving. 92 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.360 I mean it was very slow going. I was like 93 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:55.680 I felt like for a little while, I was getting dumber. Yeah, 94 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:58.480 like I just thought, Yeah, I was just sitting I 95 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:01.079 was like, literally, I I remember I was looking at 96 00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:03.759 my schedule and I could predict what I was going 97 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:06.800 to be doing every single day for the rest of 98 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.639 the year. And I was just like on autopilot and 99 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:12.360 I was like, I am so sick of this. 100 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:13.040 Yeah. 101 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:15.800 And the first thing I did, though, was like art, 102 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:18.639 because I'm also really into art. Wait, she draws too, 103 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.240 So I actually picked up a pin while I was 104 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:25.319 sitting at the desk and I just drew. I think 105 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:28.199 it was a dog mm hmm. And then I was like, oh, 106 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:30.399 let me just keep drawing. And then I kept drawing, 107 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:32.879 and then it was like a month of me just 108 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:35.000 drawing every single day from the show Skins that I 109 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:35.720 was obsessed with. 110 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:39.000 So this was a darkly comedic British TV series about 111 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.360 teens and college students, and it came out in two 112 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:44.079 thousand and seven, and it is heavily steeped in what's 113 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:48.279 known as the indie sleeze culture, an era of DJs 114 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:53.079 and side swetbangs and chunky jewelry. There was carbonated caffeinated 115 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:56.480 malt liquor options, and this show featured some well written 116 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:00.160 subplots about mental health and disordered eating and frustrated sexuality 117 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:03.079 in a time before everyone had face filters on their 118 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:07.000 social media. So Skins was created by Brian Ellesley and 119 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:09.639 Jamie Britton, and Crystal As a fan of the show 120 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:13.160 started drawing portraits of the series' actors, starting with a 121 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:15.480 character who usually wore a fedora, which I'm sorry that 122 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.199 was just that was groundbreaking for the era. The guy 123 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.439 at the store said, I'm the only guy he's ever 124 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:21.439 seen pull it off. 125 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.360 And then after I finished drawing, I put in a 126 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:26.680 video and put it on YouTube, and then I found 127 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:30.279 the creator online and I sam the video, and then 128 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.279 within a month of me starting to draw, he hired 129 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:37.040 me to work on the show. No, yeah, what right, 130 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.000 And I was like, oh hey, So for quite a 131 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:42.160 while I was just doing a lot of art like 132 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:43.879 it kind of took off. Wow. 133 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:47.519 Really, well what a shoot your shot moment? Right? How 134 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:49.879 glad are you that you just went for it? 135 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:50.079 You know? 136 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:52.399 Yeah, it was so random and I was like, oh, 137 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.480 someone wants to pay me for that. It's my favorite show. Yeah. 138 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:57.879 I came here originally for acting, so I wrote and 139 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.680 directed my own short film and then I was just 140 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:02.839 following every single path. So I did the same thing 141 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:05.079 with the bees, and it kind of linked to the 142 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:07.759 artwork because I wanted to get a camera where I 143 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:10.120 can take original photos for my artwork, but then also 144 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.160 photograph bees because I've been drawing everything like based on 145 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:14.800 other people's photos when I was like, I want to 146 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:15.720 take my own photos. 147 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:19.000 Oh, that's a great point. So Chrismal picked up photography 148 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:21.600 by taking source photos for her ink drawings. 149 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:22.160 Yeah. 150 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:23.920 I think so much we don't think about that, is 151 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.920 how much we use photo references. But yeah, having your 152 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:29.399 own must feel like it. It's really really yours. 153 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.920 Yeah, and like I started creating like really strong messages 154 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:35.160 at the time. I just met this girl. We did 155 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:37.759 a talk together and she was one of the founding 156 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:40.639 members of Black Lives Matter. Oh wow, her name is Shammeel. 157 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:41.519 So she had a fro. 158 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.720 And I saw a picture of her like at a 159 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:46.920 Black Lives Matter protest, and I told her she looked 160 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.639 like Angela Davis. And then she's like, hey, I actually 161 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.839 know her. Do you want to meet her? Yeah? And 162 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:56.040 then like I think it was maybe less than two 163 00:07:56.040 --> 00:08:00.439 weeks later, I met her the Stars a line, right. 164 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:02.040 It was very random. 165 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.199 Yeah, So basically we recreated that image of like Angela 166 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:07.120 Davis with her like fist up. So she came to 167 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:09.839 my apartment. I put like a whole backdrop up so 168 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:12.000 she was in ballpoint pen and then I used black 169 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:15.600 spray paint for the Black Lives Matter logo slash like name, 170 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:18.160 Oh my god. And then I did a custom frame 171 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:22.040 where I put I think forty four people who had 172 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:25.439 basically lost their lives in like activism. I've been working 173 00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:27.600 on one forever. It's a chicken. My friend brought her 174 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:30.160 chicken over to my place. Oh lucky, and I got 175 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:32.879 one shot of the chicken looking directly into the camera. 176 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.200 Oh wow, And that's the one I'm using. 177 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:37.039 Oh what's the chicken's name? 178 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.080 Honey? Thank you. 179 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:40.080 I needed to know when someone has a pet chicken, 180 00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:42.360 you need to know what they named. It yeah, yeah, 181 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:45.840 And that piece features a live chicken standing on a 182 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:48.600 dinner plate as a commentary about eating meat and also 183 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:51.240 if you want to know more about chickens, we recently 184 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.600 did an entire Chickenology episode. It was a two parter. Also, 185 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:58.200 after we recorded this, I pulled up the twenty eighteen 186 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:02.600 time lapse video of Crystal hands with nothing but a 187 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:05.639 blank sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen, rendering a 188 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:10.639 photorealistic and stunning portrait of the Black Panther character T'Challa, 189 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:14.000 which was shared tens of thousands of times on social media, 190 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.519 including by the late Chadwick Boseman, who added, Crystal Hickman, 191 00:09:17.879 --> 00:09:21.480 your pen work is incredible. Thank you. I watched this video, 192 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.159 this time laps video of her making this art, and 193 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:28.519 it was so stunningly gorgeous. I started crying, which was 194 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.679 very embarrassing because I just met her, but it was 195 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:35.399 absolutely gorgeous. So she was already finding success and acclaim 196 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:37.559 in the art world. But she started picking up more 197 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.639 and more skills, and you will learn that that is 198 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:41.639 kind of what she does. She is one of those 199 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:45.559 people that's just good at everything. You got this camera, 200 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:47.919 so you were making art and you thought, I want 201 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:51.759 a camera that maybe I can shoot people and bugs 202 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:55.720 and nature. How much googling did you do? Oh my 203 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:56.639 god to find a camera? 204 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:57.399 So much? 205 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.080 So much because I was doing b photography with my 206 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:02.480 cell phone for two years. Like I was saying, I 207 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:04.360 pick a lot of hobbies, and like I tried to 208 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:05.720 go through with all of them. I wasn't sure I 209 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:08.039 was going to stick with this one. So I wanted 210 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:09.639 to know I was going to stick with it first. 211 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:12.559 So after I knew that I was, I did so 212 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.399 much googling, and I was trying to decide between Nikon 213 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:18.759 Cannon and Sony and then I ended up picking a 214 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:22.440 Nikon D five hundred, okay, which is a crop sensor lens. 215 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:25.000 And this was before like mirrorless was like really big. 216 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:29.600 And I just youtubed the crap out of this camera 217 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:31.480 because I was like, oh, this is a great camera 218 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:33.879 for making small things look large. You don't have to 219 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:37.559 crop as much. And I absolutely love this camera. And 220 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:39.279 it was a camera that I knew I was gonna 221 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:42.159 have to grow with. I didn't want something I would outgrow, yeah, 222 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:44.559 because it was it was pretty expensive too. It was 223 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.399 like the most expensive piece of equipment i'd bought. 224 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:50.600 When you had two years of cell phone b pictures down, 225 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:53.519 were you using like oleo clips or what types of 226 00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:55.279 lenses or nothing? 227 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:55.879 Really? 228 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:56.399 Yeah? 229 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:59.279 Yeah, yeah, like my old photos, like people thought I 230 00:10:59.360 --> 00:10:59.919 actually had a. 231 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.039 Care I mean you did. It was just part of 232 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:03.600 a phone, right, yeah, actually. 233 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:06.080 Yeah, yeah. I think like honestly, cell phones, especially when 234 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.519 you're like learning how to use a camera, you can 235 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:10.440 take better pictures with your cell phone. Yeah. 236 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:13.000 And for more on macro photography, I will link our 237 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:15.639 whole episode on it. It's called Epieology and it's with 238 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:18.159 Joseph Saunders. That'll be in the show notes Just a 239 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:21.960 Life of Bug Portraits awaits You did you find that, 240 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:25.639 Oh you really liked taking the pictures, having the source 241 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.200 material and then also getting that practice of like getting 242 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:29.519 out and looking for them too. 243 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:33.559 Yeah. I really enjoy the process of just going out 244 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.519 into nature. I think that's like one of the main 245 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:38.399 reasons why I keep doing this, going out to places 246 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:40.960 where there's no cell phone reception. It's just kind of 247 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:43.799 you and whatever you're doing. And I also feel like 248 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:46.399 a lot of times in nature just nothing revolves around people, 249 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:48.960 which is really nice, so you can't really be like 250 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:52.120 selfish in nature and it's just I don't know, it's 251 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:54.519 kind of like therapy or like meditation. 252 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.080 I bet the idea of getting out of your head 253 00:11:57.080 --> 00:11:59.600 and getting off of your phone is so hard to 254 00:11:59.639 --> 00:12:02.879 do literally unless there's like no service or you've dropped 255 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:05.240 your phone down a well I mean, yeah, which is expensive. 256 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:07.440 Oh you've done that? No oh I think. 257 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:10.639 So it was funny when people come back from like 258 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.679 camping or something and they're like, yeah, it's great, I 259 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:13.600 had no service. 260 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:17.720 It's amazing too, because like, the longest trip I've ever 261 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:19.720 been on was a ten day trip. I was in 262 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:22.879 the Trinity Alps. It's like two years ago now, and 263 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:25.879 it was just so interesting coming back because all of 264 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:28.399 this media that I could assume before, like really regularly, 265 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.799 I didn't realize how negative it was. It's really refreshing. 266 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.120 That's why I try to go out somewhere every single day. 267 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:38.440 And I'm so happy, and I also like everyone around me. Also. 268 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:40.159 I don't know if I'm just attracting people that were 269 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:43.519 happy or like what exactly, but everyone's super positive. 270 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:45.960 It feels like when you know that you're doing something 271 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:50.120 you really like. It's that enthusiasm is really infectious. People 272 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:52.200 want to get on your team because it's clearly that 273 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:54.759 you like what you're doing, you know, which is great. 274 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:56.600 And then you never know, the bees might be talking 275 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:59.120 to each other about you and just a general they 276 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.039 could be you know, general buzz above town. 277 00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:04.480 That buzz about that's the worst thing. 278 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:08.279 Now, you liked lady bugs as well on growing up 279 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:11.720 and other type of bugs. What was it about bees. 280 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:14.320 That really just gotcha? I wish I had like a 281 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:18.000 really definite answer. I would just say that I liked 282 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:21.279 all insects, all bugs. But the thing that got me 283 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.600 specifically into looking at bees was this. Uh there's this 284 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:28.799 quote that's attributed to Einstein. I saw it on Facebook. 285 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.200 It says if the bee disappeared off the surface of 286 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:32.919 the globe, then man would only have four years of 287 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:34.960 life left. It was like, no more bees, no more man, 288 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.039 no more pollination. So it turns out the quotess not real. 289 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:40.279 I'm just gonna say that, doesn't it. 290 00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:43.080 It's yeah, And it's like it's funny because like now 291 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:44.960 when I actually think about it, like that doesn't make 292 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.799 any sense. But yeah, also Einstein never said it either. 293 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:49.799 Someone just put like Einstein's name on it and then 294 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:53.200 like the nineties. Oh good, So that got me into 295 00:13:53.320 --> 00:13:54.919 I was like, I want to save the bees because 296 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:56.720 I was like, I love insects, I love nature. So 297 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:58.919 I was like, I'll get involved with this because you know, 298 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:00.480 it was an idea I wanted to follow through with. 299 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:03.240 So I followed through with it. And then I was 300 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.919 doing that for quite a long time, and then I 301 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:09.879 accidentally took a photo of a native bee accidentally accidentally 302 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:11.320 I was looking for honeybees. 303 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:11.879 Yeah. 304 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:15.720 It's funny too, is I photographed a native bee on mustard? 305 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:19.360 So it's like super super invasive, uh huh, which is 306 00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:20.879 just I think it's really funny. 307 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:24.000 Especially the history of why mustard is so prevalent in California. 308 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:26.200 From what I understand, like missionaries would just kind of 309 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:28.120 throw it behind them on their path. 310 00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:28.960 Yep. 311 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:32.320 West Coast missionaries, led in the seventeen hundreds up what's 312 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:36.279 now the California Coast by a Catholic priest named Junaparaserra, 313 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:40.559 tossed out invasive mustard seeds as they went along this 314 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:44.480 El Camino Real, or the Royal Road that connected all 315 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.919 the missions, creating what was described as a ribbon of 316 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.519 gold in their wake and botanists have even broken apart 317 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:55.600 the adobe bricks of the missions, and as time marched on, 318 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:59.120 they were able to see more and more mustard seeds 319 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:01.759 within these mu bricks, and they could trace the spread 320 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:04.120 of them. But what is the issue with mustard flowers, 321 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:09.159 you ask, Well, it's choked out indigenous plants and thus animals. 322 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:13.039 And just like he left a wake of highly invasive weeds. 323 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:18.080 Juniparasera also believed that indigenous people could be modified to 324 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.720 suit religious aesthetics, and according to one book, Into the 325 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:25.919 West the Story of its People, indigenous populations were punished 326 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:30.120 for the sake of salvation. The missionary said. Juniparas Era 327 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:32.039 also said at one point that so long as they 328 00:15:32.039 --> 00:15:35.440 were converted beforehand, their death could be seen as a joy. 329 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:39.919 So California nature lovers, when they see these sunny yellow 330 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:44.360 fields of wildflowers, many don't know that a lot of 331 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.519 it is mustard and it's anything but native. And the 332 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:50.600 El Camino Real Route in California is still commemorated with 333 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:54.960 these rustic roadside bells along the highway shoulders. But recognizing 334 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:58.200 the face of Junipasera might be harder because many statues 335 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.200 of him have been beheaded in recent years, so thanks 336 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:03.879 for the genocide and all the mustard, dude. 337 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:07.080 I was actually at a farm last week and they 338 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:10.279 were using mustard as a cover crop. No, it was 339 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:12.519 just fields and fields of mustard. I was like, Oh 340 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:16.399 my gosh, yeah, so I mean, And it's funny because 341 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:18.759 until you learn that it's invasive, you just think. 342 00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:23.759 Oh, wild flowers and they're so yellow. Isn't this nice? 343 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:24.399 Now? 344 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:27.080 I love a native plant so much that in the 345 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.679 past year, Jared and I have enlisted the help of 346 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:33.320 one David Newsom of a nonprofit called Wild Yards Project, 347 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:37.600 who has made our dry backyard full of invasive weeds 348 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:42.080 into this thriving pollinator garden and a critter habitat. And 349 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:45.960 because of him, I see the hillsides of la so differently. 350 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:51.159 I really appreciate native, untouched or reintroduced native species. And 351 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.759 also before this I had never cringed at a flower, 352 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.960 and now I do. One of the funniest conversation to 353 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:58.879 have is just asking like, what do you think about, 354 00:16:58.919 --> 00:17:01.120 and then just name any invasive plant and then just 355 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:04.519 sit back. It's like those rants are so good to hear, 356 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:05.640 They're so impassioned. 357 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.119 Mm hmm. 358 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:11.279 And when it comes to native bees versus the European 359 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:15.079 honeybe that we're accustomed to. Most people don't know that 360 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.759 honey bees in at least in the US, are feral, right. 361 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:21.400 Yeah, I call them just like flat out invasive at 362 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:24.480 this point. Yeah, it's really frustrating too, because like people 363 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:27.960 mix up facts between honey bees and native bees. And 364 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:30.279 also you see all these things about save the bees, 365 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:32.599 and then there's a honeybee at World b Day. I 366 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:34.400 was at a fair. I had a booth, and like 367 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.960 you had all of these people so happy about supporting 368 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.279 the honey bees, and I realized after a while, like 369 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:44.240 it probably wasn't the best place to throw out facts 370 00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:47.559 about native bees. It's just interesting that science has become 371 00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:51.839 so debatable when there's like really solid facts about what's happening, 372 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:53.319 and people still want to debate you. 373 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:56.680 So, these save the bees campaigns you might see in America, 374 00:17:56.839 --> 00:18:01.680 well they're usually focused on honeybees, which are completely introduced 375 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:05.599 species in America that are still used obviously as farming livestock. 376 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:09.279 So each ive has around thirty thousand workers who farmers 377 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:13.559 take to different orchards and fields for pollination services. So 378 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:16.799 a save the honeybees campaign in the US is kind 379 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:20.599 of like a big, well funded push to breed more 380 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:25.160 feral cats and granted backyard bee keepers do rescue feral swarms, 381 00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:28.200 which is kind of like I guess homing stray kittens, 382 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:31.160 which is fine by some people, not fined by others. 383 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:34.960 But the biggest issue facing bees isn't the loss of 384 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.680 livestock bees, but really monocultures and habitat loss for all 385 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:42.079 kinds of creatures, including native bees. 386 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:44.599 Like a positive thing I've seen, at least in California 387 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:46.440 is there's a lot of farms that are actually starting 388 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:48.400 to farm alongside native ecosystems. 389 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:50.279 Really, yeah, since. 390 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:54.039 When I started seeing it within the last five years. Wow, 391 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:55.880 I don't know if I should see the farm stain, 392 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:59.160 but I saw so many native plants. Specifically, I was 393 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:01.200 looking at this tomato field and I actually took a 394 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:03.799 lot of photos of their Yeah, native bees. They also 395 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.519 have a lot of birds, They have a lot of butterflies. 396 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:09.400 So it doesn't just encourage native bees, but it's like 397 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:12.440 anything that's in that ecosystem. So instead of relying on 398 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:15.799 this one invasive pollinator, you have like a whole ecosystem 399 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:18.440 of creatures that will pollinate your plants for you, and 400 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.799 they'll do a better job. 401 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:23.359