Remix Ad - Morton

Photos by John Solem (flower) &  Sam Droege (bees)

UMASS Amherst: For Alumni and Friends of the Flagship Campus  // Fall 2015

I chose my original image from an article titled, Our Fight for Bees: Creating a new global generation of beekeeping. Massachusetts Agricultural College (now part of UMASS) was once the hub of beekeeping education and was the first college to offer a formal beekeeping program with a full-time beekeeping professor until 1969. Focus shifted away from beekeeping and the program slowly went dormant. Now, years later, with disappearing honeybees, there are more and more people interested in beekeeping. The article goes on to highlight the researchers, staff and students at UMASS who are focused on helping all bees: domestic and wild. Part of the article shares what we can do to help save the bees in our environment.  

To remix my image I searched for pictures that help support a healthy environment for bees. While I was reflecting on this topic I was also thinking about the relationship between humans, bees and our food supply. I included pictures of flowers, vegetables and water in my image. I then put the flower from my original image over the new background and added a handful of bees to the image. It is up to everyone, not just beekeepers, to make a difference in this issue. Plant bee-friendly flowers in your gardens, avoid using pesticides and chemicals in your yard, keep a birdbath in your garden for thirsty bees and buy local honey.