Jul 14, 2020
If you’ve been relying on gardening to provide you with some regenerative moments – or looking for some inspiration to start planting – log into your Kanopy account to watch The Pollinators, a thoughtful and fascinating film that pointedly illustrates the integral role bees play in sustaining our food systems.
“1 out of every 3 bites we put in our mouths is from pollination” is a figure cited and made very clear in The Pollinators – we watch as apiarists tour their bee populations across the US via tractor trailers loaded down with thousands of hives, pollinating crops from California almonds all the way to Maine blueberries. Interviewed in the film, author Bill McKibben calls the bee “a sentinel” for the fortunes of agriculture and our environment, and The Pollinators similarly expands its focus to explore how issues facing native and managed bee populations reflect our increasingly fragile ecosystems and food supply.
Literally taking us from farm to table, The Pollinators features farmers, scientists, agriculturalists, chefs and more, all of whom piece together a picture that illustrates the historical practices and consumer and political pressures that have brought us to this point. Simultaneously, however, the film highlights the hopeful work of those successfully cultivating sustainable practices that work to regenerate the land.
Consistently engaging and thought-provoking – in addition to being beautifully shot – The Pollinators is an informative and inspiring look at just how interconnected our world is, from the humble honeybee all the way to your plate. It’ll be on your mind whether you’re in the garden, the kitchen, the farmer’s market or the grocery store.
If The Pollinators encourages you to start your own (pollinator-friendly!) garden, don’t forget to check out OPL’s related online programs:
- Beekeeping Basics - Wednesday Aug 19, 2020 at 12:00pm
- Pollinator-friendly Gardens - Wednesday Aug 26, 2020 at 12:00pm