Learning from the Bees

08/20/2026

Something beautiful is taking root in Floyd! 🐝

The Floyd County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to support local efforts toward becoming a certified Bee City USA community through The Xerces Society ! 💛

For us at Spikenard, this feels deeply meaningful. For years, we have watched what can happen when land is cared for with pollinators in mind. Cultivate more forage, make room for nesting, reduce harm, pay attention, and life begins to answer! Honeybees come, yes, but so do bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies, beetles, and countless other beings woven into the living fabric of our local ecosystems. 🐛🪲🐜🦋

Earlier this month, our Director, Alex Tuchman, spoke with the Board about this work and about the extraordinary diversity of pollinators here in Floyd. The conversation reached beyond certification itself, opening into questions of relationship, responsibility, and what becomes possible when a community chooses to care more intentionally for the small lives that make so much of life possible. 🌱

As Floyd prepares to welcome Learning from the Bees this September, it feels especially moving to see this wider community conversation unfolding alongside it.

We are grateful to the Floyd County Board of Supervisors, our local partners, our beloved community, and everyone helping carry this effort forward! ☀️✨

May this be one more step toward a landscape where pollinators are not simply protected, but welcomed, listened to, and given room to thrive! 🐝💫

Read the full story from The Floyd Times and learn more about Learning from the Bees through the links below:

https://www.floydtimes.com/board-votes-to-support-the-efforts-of-floyd-becoming-a-certified-bee-city/

https://www.learningfromthebees.org

08/17/2026

We’re officially just under six weeks away from gathering in Floyd! 🐝 Will you join us?

Learning from the Bees is drawing closer, and we’re beginning to feel the quiet hum of anticipation as this year’s conference comes into view. There’s still time to sign up for a weekend of inspiring talks, hands-on learning, organic farm-to-table meals, and immersive experiences rooted in close attention to community and the more-than-human world.

If you’ve been feeling the pull to be part of this year’s conversations, we warmly invite you to step into the hive with us! 💛

📍 Floyd, Virginia
📅 September 25–27, 2026

Registration is still open. Learn more and explore the full program at www.LearningfromtheBees.org

08/10/2026

What is blooming in your neighborhood right now? Let us know in the comments! 🌸🐝🪻🦋

Our latest “What’s flowering near you?” features this gorgeous honeybee enjoying the local milkweed! Often dismissed as mere weeds, these native wild plants are actually a crucial summer lifeline for local pollinators. They also serve as the exclusive, vital food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars! 🐛

We are counting down the weeks until we gather in Floyd, VA this September to celebrate and learn from these incredible creatures. 🐝✨

08/05/2026

Got a bee story to share? We want to hear it! 🐝💬

Speed BEE Talks will bring a handful of conference attendees to the stage for five minutes of stories, observations, projects, and perspectives from in and around the hive.

Whether you’re a longtime beekeeper, a curious observer, a researcher, or simply someone with something meaningful to share, we’d love to hear from you! 🎤✨

Interested in taking the mic? Apply through the link below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOB7WfpsJsfJg45w5lvglFPxZZXZ9pdIYQEMh618zdGdPlVg/viewform

08/03/2026

Come take a peek inside one of our favorite spots at the Floyd EcoVillage Farm! 💛

Farm Manager Allie gives us a tour of the welcoming Farm Store, filled with local food, honey, teas, handmade goods, and all kinds of treasures. Just outside, the Learning Garden is the perfect tranquil setting to slow down and enjoy the land. 🌼

Thank you, Allie, for sharing this special corner of the EcoVillage with us! We can’t wait to welcome everyone this September! ✨

Learn more about and register for Learning from the Bees through the link below.

www.LearningfromtheBees.org

07/31/2026

We’re excited to hear from Tucka, whose treatment-free beekeeping journey has been guided by wild bees, resilient genetics, and a commitment to working with, rather than against, nature. We look forward to the insights she’ll bring to this year’s conference! ✨

Learn more about Tucka and the full conference program on our website:

www.LearningfromtheBees.org

07/30/2026

07/23/2026

We're excited to hear from Alex, one of Learning from the Bees' organizers, who will open the conference and ground us in the beauty of Floyd, Virginia! He'll also lead two guided tours of Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary, where bees live in an array of hive types and are managed following biodynamic principles rooted in relationship. 🐝🌱

More info can be found on our website: www.LearningfromtheBees.org

07/23/2026

Learning from the Bees is more than a conference. It is an invitation to slow down, observe more closely, and deepen our relationship with the living world. 🌱✨

As we prepare to gather this September, we invite our community to reflect:

What are the bees teaching you?

What wisdom have you discovered through tending, observing, or simply sharing space with bees?

Leave a word, a sentence, or a story in the comments. We look forward to learning alongside you and continuing these conversations together! 💛

Registration is open at www.LearningfromtheBees.org

07/23/2026

What’s flowering near you this week? Tell us in the comments! Whether it’s black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, wildflowers, or something unexpected, we’d love to hear what summer is bringing to your landscape. Share photo if you’d like, as well! 🌹✨