Bee Eaters
“It’s a false dichotomy to say we could have human well-being or ecological flourishing. There are too many examples worldwide where we have both, and that narrative of one or the other is deeply destructive and cuts us off from imagining a different future for ourselves.”
- Robin Wall Kimmerer
We believe that we need to imagine other ways of living together that allow human and more-than-human beings to thrive in beneficial relationship with one another. Pollinators are one of the first relationships that come to mind when thinking about this interdependence. Without pollinators, our species would have very little food to eat, a reduction in fibers, oils and other raw materials, an inability to make important medicines, loss of food for wildlife and increased soil erosion.
For NYCxDESIGN last month, we participated in an inspired show called Public Access curated by our friend Jean Lee of Ladies & Gentlemen Studio prompting designers to create a public installation that provokes the act of sharing in one's own neighborhood. Along with submissions from 37 designers from 12 countries, we created our take on a Mason bee shelter in an effort to support our hardest working pollinators.
We installed the first pieces in a local garden and have made the designs downloadable as an open source file along with basic instructions for how to populate and care for solitary bees and their shelters. Since then, we have also led a Mason bee shelter workshop with local elementary students here in our studio.
There are over 150 different species of Mason bees (also known as Osmia bees) in North America. Mason bees are known as solitary flyers who do not colonize like honey bees. They work as individuals pollinating and laying eggs in tubes.
Solo bees are not strong enough to build their own nesting shelter, so they must find one in existence already such as a hole in a dead tree, underneath rocks, or in a hollow stem or bark crevice. These shelters also need to be within 200 feet of their pollen source.
Due to urbanization and the increased use of pesticides, there are less and less scenarios like these available to solitary bees. This is where humans can lend a helping hand.
Mason bee shelters can take many forms, but they must be off the ground, protected from rain, immobile and facing south or southwest to take in the most sun in winter to keep the bees warm. Like us, bees prefer natural materials without any added chemicals which is why we chose to burn the surface of our shelters to weatherproof instead of applying a commercial finish. Mason bees also need to be surrounded by blooming flowers as a single solitary flyer visits around 20,000 blossoms a day.
It is our hope that our shelters fulfill all of these requirements while also adding a joyful sculptural element to their sited landscape.
If you missed design week in New York, you can still check out all of the acts of communal sharing created as part of Public Access here. It was the most hopeful show of the week. It left us feeling optimistic about the helpful role designers can play in the places they call home.
We have been asked about making a limited edition run of Bee Eaters for folks not set up to make their own. If you would like your name added to the list for more information, we can let you know if we decide to proceed.
Wishing you and all the pollinators out there a good start to the summer!
- Chelsea & James
PS We will be hosting an open studio event, August 11-13, at our studio on Bainbridge Island, WA as part of the Bainbridge Working Studios Tour. If you are going to be in the Northwest and would like to learn more, please let us know!