Bee Kind Bee Aware October 04 2014, 1 Comment

Woah we are in October already, hence the mad spring weather. September was a busy month with the National Bee Association launching Bee Aware month. This was a great success in getting the message out that we need bees for so much more than honey and they need our help.

We were proud to support Bee Aware month and to bring back seeds to our packaging. Planting the wild flower seeded paper provides a practical way we can help bees by providing a food source. 

Bee Aware month showed some amazing people doing great things to help bees. An inspiring event I went to a few months back was- Bee Jam. An event organised as part of POP.org.nz at the Artstation.

Positive people doing great things for bees and the community. Check out makethepark.info a public sculpture initiated by Artists Sarah Smuts-Kennedy and Taarati Taiaroa centred around beehives in Victoria park. The community is invited to make the park by building or photographing existing pollen hotels' (food sources for bees), then plotting them on the interactive map. This was to help sustain the bees over the winter months. And as an added bonus when the honey is harvested it will be made available to the people that helped build the park! Very cool.

It must almost be ready for harvest. After hearing from the speakers on this day about how bereft supermarket honey is of any nutritional value its definitely worth getting right from the source.

Plastic free July and beyond July 14 2014, 0 Comments

So we are nearly half way through plastic free July. I am finding it a lot harder than I thought. I am mostly remembering reusable shopping bags, but the takeaway coffee cups, straws, plastic wrappers on everything are killing it. I thought I would remind myself why plastic is so bad to help my resolve!

So what is the problem with plastic??  Here are a few of the key concerns, in very brief-

• There is so much of it. They are cheap versatile and used for everything, then often thrown out less than a year later.
• Plastic doesn't break down for a very long time. Hundreds of thousands of tons ends up in our waterways and oceans. 
• Millions of sea birds and marine creatures die as a direct result of either ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it.
• Plastic doesnt biodegrade. When it finally breaks down it is into tiny particles. Harmful chemicals then leach into the ground and waterways.
• Toxic chemicals used in plastic are having a harmful effect on our health. Common chemicals found in plastics have been linked to birth defects, child development disorders and cancers.
• Plastic is not sustainable. They are made from non-renewable natural resources such as crude oil, gas and coal. 

So what can we do about it??

Remember Plastic Free July, I will more now. Use our consumer power to force change. Yeah!

Use reusable bags, avoid products with lots of packaging, remember your keep cup for that coffee or better still sit in and read a mag with a coffee in a real cup. Ignorance is bliss but not an option we can take in the long term. Read Slow Death by Rubber Ducky: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie.

Though be warned you will not be able to go into a $2 shop again! Which is probably a good thing anyway!

References:

http://www.letsdoitworld.org/news/symptoms-our-plastic-age-what-s-really-so-bad-about-plastics

http://stephanemanos.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/travelling-green-why-is-plastic-so-bad/

Slow Death by Rubber Ducky: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things. By Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie.

SOUP:500+ created by Mandy Barker, UK represents over 500 pieces of plastic found in the stomach of a dead albatross chick

honeywrap launched! Yay! May 07 2014, 0 Comments

Hi,

Here we finally are- www.honeywrap.co.nz. The website is good to go which will make buying your honeywraps direct from us so much easier. Welcome!

Honeywrap has been, (and continues to be)  a journey of discovery and learning. For us one of the most interesting parts has been learning more about bees and what amazing fascinating creatures they are. It has also been quite frightening as we did not realize just how dire their situation is!

Bees are in rapid decline worldwide and they need our help. Bees give us so much more than just honey. About 1/3 of what we eat is dependent on bee pollination. Chocolate, coffee, strawberries, blueberries... basically all the good things would be no more! 

We are passionate about the environment and want to pass on a better world to our kids. Add your support to the petition link below to reduce neonicotinoids. These chemicals are a key cause of bee death throughout the world.

http://action.sumofus.org/a/home-depot-lowes-bees-neonicotinoids/  

Buy local, buy organic when you can, to reduce pesticide use!

Look out for future blogs with other info and tips to help save our bees and also little tidbits about looking after ourselves and our environment. 

In the mean time check out the link below to watch the trailer of 'More than Honey' a fascinating insight into the plight of bees!

http://vimeo.com/45684169