Still getting over a cold, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to the monthly Backwards Beekeeper meeting and Go Green Expo at the convention center. The beekeeper meeting was first. It is run by Kirk Anderson or Kirkobeeo is his twitter handle. He should have his own show and puts things in terms most people understand. The setting was Farmlab's outdoor space under Spring Street. Very urban and cool space to learn about bees. They are located by the park & do amazing things in LA. Kirk was talking about small cell bees, which kind of was way more advanced than my knowledge. My interest was what brought me there, but literally that was it, I hadn't even read much, just heard from my friend's Max & Steve that it was great and Kirk was hilarious. They were right on both counts. After the class I looked up a bunch of things online & now understand more about things he was referencing. Basically Kirk's philosophy is let bees be bees. Don't use chemicals, or do much of anything to the bees, they will do it all. The CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder, most people now feel is due to limited gene pool and man's interference with pesticides and other chemicals to control pests, like mites. Kirk feels that healthy bees will survive and that the mites aren't going away. So lets make beekeeping sustainable, by cutting out the chemicals & human interference as much as possible. Besides being really funny and a total character, he gives you great information.
The next stop on my busy Sunday was the Go Green Expo, my friend at Ecosaveology wanted me to get some photos of Mariel Hemingway & the expo, so ran over to try to hear her talk. Missed the talk, but caught the Q&A after and got some ok pix. I found the expo a bit on the slim side, lots of Solar panel info, electric & hybrid vehicles, lots of things I don't consider green, and a smattering of cool & new products. They had a whole section for pets that was interesting. The products I liked the most were: O'Bon, cool school supplies; Soda Stream, make soda at home; Vapur, foldable, reuseable water bottle; Hydro Flask, double walled hot or cold water bottle; ecousable, water bottle with built in filter; Reverse Vending Machine, recycle on the spot & get money.
