
Tri Duong
Dave Primer, board member of Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association, enjoys the smell of honey and pollen from the hive he beekeeps in his garden Oct. 1. "Over time the workers recognize you, and there is no need for protection. Even if you get stung by one, I just think of it was nature's medicine freely given to us," Primer said. "The poison is actually an elixir of life."
Over the past few years, the population of honeybees within the Northern Colorado region has suffered substantial losses due to various environmental changes. Our ecosystem has been out of equilibrium due to the continuation of chemical use along with increased frequency of weather crises. The Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association has been working to educate residents of Larimer County on how to advocate for change in order to keep our pollinator invertebrates healthy for the coming future. The process of pollination is a vital system that drives our food chain and maintenance of soil nutrition and aids other species’ interaction. There are countless honey farms around Northern Colorado, and it has been told to beekeepers that their prospects do not look bright for the colonies. However, beekeeper Dave Primer believes that this could be changed if you take on the perspective of being a protector of Mother Nature.
Reach Tri Duong at photo@collegian.com or on Twitter @TheRoamingLight.