On a warm April morning at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, visitors gathered under a pavilion to do something out of their comfort zones.
Many people run when they hear the steady hum of a honeybee. But on April 2, an audience went against their natural instincts to avoid bees but leaned in to observe them. Inside a sealed glass hive, thousands of honeybees moved in a steady rhythm, building, communicating and working together.
The demonstration was part of the “Live Hive & Taste: Observing Live Bees with Honey-Tasting” lecture, hosted by the Sunshine State Beekeepers Association. For many attendees, it was their first time seeing a hive up close.
“There's a lot of different aspects of the refuge, the wildlife, the ecology that one person may not experience in a single visit. So by having these programs you can taste all the different parts that you otherwise wouldn't” said Tucker Phillips, Park Ranger at the refuge.
The April 2 event was [part of the J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge's 21st annual winter lecture series. This series offers residents and visitors an opportunity to engage with experts in wildlife, conservation and history.
This year's series, which ended this month, normally features a diverse lineup of speakers, including authors, scientists, photographers, and environmental advocates. Topics this year ranged from Florida bird species and island history to animal behavior and ecosystem conservation. The refuge’s natural surroundings provide a scenic backdrop, allowing visitors to explore trails and observe wildlife before or after the presentations.
The event aimed to do more than educate, it highlighted a growing concern.
Honeybees are in decline, and their loss could have serious consequences.
“Our ability to eat depends on honeybees. 30% of the food that humans eat depends on honeybees pollinating crops. If you like to eat, you probably like honeybees.” said Angela Bartholomew, president of the Sunshine State Beekeepers Association.
Bartholomew is enrolled in the Master Beekeeper Program at the University of Florida in Gainesville and a successful beekeeper of about 35 hives. She gave the presentation to point out the importance of honeybees for humans.
“They are magnificent. Something that seems so simple is so incredibly complicated. They are an insect that has a sense of smell that's equivalent to smelling one drop in an entire swimming pool,” Bartholomew said.
The Sunshine State Beekeepers Association, formed in December 2025, plays an important role in supporting beekeepers and promoting pollinator health across Florida. With around 30 members and a small shared apiary in Alva, the group represents a growing effort to address bee decline at the community level.
The organization brings together hobbyists, professional beekeepers and educators to share knowledge about bee care, honey production and the environmental importance of pollinators.
Through workshops and events, the group helps raise awareness about the challenges bees face and how they can be helped.
Honeybees are responsible for pollinating a significant portion of the crops humans rely on, including fruits, vegetables and nuts. Without them, food production would face serious challenges.
Honeybees face a combination of threats, including pesticide exposure, habitat loss, climate change and disease. During the lecture, speakers emphasized how these factors weaken colonies and disrupt their natural behavior.
Members of the association also discussed how modern agricultural practices have reduced the availability of diverse flowering plants, leaving bees with fewer reliable food sources. Without proper nutrition, colonies become more vulnerable to collapse.
The lecture didn’t just focus on problems, it also explored solutions.
Speakers highlighted the importance of organic and responsible beekeeping, explaining how management practices directly affect both honey production and bee health.
After the demonstration, attendees sampled different types of local honey, guided by Virginia Riggs, the association’s membership manager. The tasting included orange blossom, palmetto, mangrove and wildflower varieties, each with a distinct flavor profile shaped by the surrounding environment.
The experience reinforced a key idea, healthy bees produce not only more honey, but better honey.
Events like the “Live Hive & Taste” lecture serve as a bridge between science and the public, helping people understand the role bees play in everyday life.
“I learned that colonies have several queen eggs that are laid and once they hatch will fight to the death to become the new queen of a colony,” said Aria Katsaris, Development and Communications Intern.
Similar to other environmental issues affecting Southwest Florida, the decline of honeybees carries both ecological and economic consequences. Farmers depend on pollination, ecosystems depend on biodiversity and communities depend on stable food systems.
Despite these challenges, the message from the lecture remained hopeful.
As visitors left the pavilion, many carried not just samples of honey, but a new understanding of the fragile systems that sustain them.
The quiet hum of bees, once easy to ignore, now felt like something worth protecting.
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