The Navajo Bee Project

sculptor and author Roxanne Swentzell and I discovered the joy of sculptor. Working around Roxanne's farm and helping with her creative projects was my doorway to art and a passion for Native American rights and environmental protection. I graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in environmental science and a studio art minor. After returning to Santa Fe, I began working with ceramic sculpture under the watchful gaze of my father and his uncle, two renowned southwest artists. A trip to Navajo Land in 2014 opened my eyes to the environmental degradation wrought by eighty years of uranium mining leaving over two thousand open mines that leak radioactivity into Navajo communities. Natural beekeeping, native plants and medicinal mushrooms can heal the land around these mines and protect the Navajo communities. It a massive project and long overdue, but your donation will allow us to provide the Navajo with honeybees to pollinate native plants, pollinator gardens and even mushrooms to detoxify the soil! The Problem:

This is a map of some of the over 2,000 uranium mines leaking radiation on Navajo land. Some of these mines have been open since WW2 and have caused massive damage to Navajo people, livestock and plant life. Many are close to rivers that spread the radioactivity hundreds of miles downstream. This is no longer just a Navajo problem, but everyone's problem. The Solution:

The Navajo People have received funds to cap these mines so they no longer leak radiation. However there is a massive amount of work that needs to be done to clean up over seventy years worth of radioactivity and destruction to human health, rural economies, livestock and plant life. This summer we will begin placing honeybees, native bee nests, medicinal mushrooms and other pollinators on Navajo Land. Including:

~ Honey bees to pollinate plants and provide honey to create income for their Navajo beekeepers.

~ Native Bee Nests to encourage the over 4,000 types of solitary bees to thrive on the land and pollinate a variety of plants, tress and fruits.

~ Bat Houses to encourage bats to live on the lands to provide natural pest control.

~ Native grasses, flowers and shrubs to help the soil revive.

~ Bee gardens full of flowers, grasses and shrubs that bees, moths, hummingbirds, and other pollinators love.

~ Mushroom inoculation of the radioactive sites based on Paul Stamet's research to help increase the rate of detoxification by 10,000 fold.

~ Invite you to visit Navajo Land and see for yourself the awesome work your donation will make possible. Participate in celebration ceremonies for the bee hives and gardens. What We Need & What You Get
We are trying to raise $25,000 to gift 100 hives to Navajo people who have been affected by these mines. These hives will not only heal the land, but provide an ongoing source of income from the honey and wax they produce. Additionally, we want to plant 25 acres of native plants around the mine sites to provide pollen and nectar for the bees. We have some awesome perks for you including Navajo Bee Project stickers, T Shirts, and coffee mugs! We will name hives and bee gardens after you and even invite you to Navajo Land! The Impact
This is the first time since World War Two that the issue of uranium mining's aftermath is being addressed with an enviromentally sound approach. Natural beekeeping is the perfect method to reclaim the damaged land, pollinate new plant growth and provide income for the Navajo. We have a great relationship with the Navajo people and are dedicated to building a bridge between Anglos and Native Peoples. The Navajo Bee Project is the first step and we want you to experience Navajo culture! We don't kill the queen every year to increase productivity like commercial beekeepers do. We don't treat the hives with miticides or pesticides nor feed the bees sugar water. Instead, we support the hive to be as healthy and vital as possible. All our bees are sourced from natural beekeepers in the Rocky Mountains so they are acclimated to the climate, conditions and altitude. I have been lucky enough to study natural bee keeping with Les Crowder, an expert in the field and the former honeybee inspector for the state of New Mexico. The Navajo people are committed to making the project a success and all we need is your support! Please make a donation of any amount and Join the Hive! Other Ways You Can Help
We give you a big Navajo welcome for just a buck, but you can also help in other ways! We are a small team centered in Santa Fe. Please help us get the word out! Mentors:

We created Navajo Bee Project based on the work of Coal County Beeworks in Kentucky who pioneered the use of honeybees in reclaiming mining lands. Check out their video! Paul Stamets has done incredible work using mushrooms to revitalize lands damaged by war, oil, toxins and radioactivity. Check out his Ted Talk on using mushrooms to save the world!