037, Brigit Strawbridge Howard: Dancing with Bees—Reclaiming Awe and Wonder in the Presence of Nature

Soul Soil: Where Agriculture and Spirit Intersect with Brooke Kornegay

Have you ever tried to experience your yard, a garden, a woodland…the way a child does? Have you ever had a simple experience of a tree or insect without naming it or judging it or creating a narrative around it? Brigit Strawbridge Howard has rediscovered the pure delight and joy of doing just that—tuning in to the frequency of the natural world and experiencing nature on nature’s terms.

Brigit Strawbridge Howard is a wildlife gardener, naturalist, and bee advocate. She writes and campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity, and is the author of Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature. Brigit lives with her husband, Rob, in rural Dorset, England.

With regard to designing your garden or property, according to Brigit…”If you’re benefiting bees, you’re benefiting EVERYTHING in your garden!”

In this episode…

• The moment Brigit realized she had more than an average passing interest in bees…
• Pollination via Sonication
• There are 350,000 species of flowering plants on the planet—each with their own pollination needs
• The art of experiencing Nature like children do—with presence, without analysis or the need to label
• The role of bees as teachers
• Bee alchemy
• Tuning into the bees—a different state of mind
• Industrial beekeeping
• What we can do to support bees and other pollinating insects
• Brigit’s wildlife garden

Resources

• The Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck

• Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature by Brigit Strawbridge Howard

• The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees by Joseph Wilson

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Soul Soil Podcast Patreon Page

• Soul Soil Grow and Glow package