The buzz of spring is in the air, and that buzz will be enhanced this year with the opening of Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve on the Back Line in Goulds.
Brenda and Paul Dinn of Adelaide’s Newfoundland Honey Inc., a company named after Brenda’s mother and the first registered apiary in St. John’s, are expanding their operation to share with the public.
For the past five years, the Dinns have operated their apiary as a small home-based business and hobby.
The reserve is a first for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and is truly unique. It combines a safe place for honey bees and native pollinators and a botanical wilderness area with the deep pioneering and agricultural history of the family.
“The reserve will offer a unique outdoor adventure, one that will change each time you visit,” Paul said.
“You can see bees returning to the hive with pollen and nectar, learn how to work a low-impact beehive, open a hive and see the ecosystem inside and hike the wilderness trail where you could see a variety of creatures in their natural habitats, including grouse, rabbits, varieties of waterfowl and songbirds in a protected natural habitat,” Brenda added.
In addition, those hikes will allow visitors to learn about this province’s wildflowers and boreal forest.
Hikes will run from June 1 until Oct. 15 and will proceed rain or shine.
On the reserve, honey bees and native pollinators have shelter and a place to breed, while foraging on native trees and wildflowers.
“Honeybees and other bee species are declining around the world. When bees pollinate flowers they improve the biodiversity and stability of ecosystems,” Paul said.
“Bees are one of most important creatures in the world and are the foundation of agriculture, yet they are threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, herbicides, parasites and disease,” he added.
This eco- and agri-tourism experience offers something for everyone — education, research, tourism, agriculture and Newfoundland heritage.
Located 10 minutes from downtown St John’s, in the heartland of the agricultural belt, the reserve is inland, which provides a micro-climate where honeybees and native pollinators can forage earlier for longer periods of time.
Even the government recognizes the importance of bees across the province. A section in the Liberals’ The Way Forward program denotes the island of Newfoundland is one of three areas in the world recognized for having a clean environment, wildflowers and in turn a healthy bee population.
The other regions are Isle of Man and western Australia.
“Our very survival depends upon bees and pollinators, as every third bite of food we consume is because of their work,” Paul said.
“Newfoundland honey bees are special as they are one of the healthiest in the world and we want to keep it that way,” Brenda said.
To reserve your honeybee hike, contact Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve through email at [email protected].
Reservations are being accepted for small groups of four to eight people. Tours are offered Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9:45 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1:30-3:45 p.m.
Follow Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at:
https://www.facebook.com/AdelaidesHARPP/
https://twitter.com/adelaideshoney
https://www.instagram.com/adelaidesnewfoundlandhoney/
