Our Story
An apiary in Boreal Forest
We have started our apiary in Rural BC - about 20 min from Fort Nelson (boreal forest region) in Spring 2019
February 2019 - first visit to our future apiary site
Have built a couple of insulated bee hives and purchased a couple Australian packages .
Installed an electrical fence - to protect our colonies from bear activity and hoped that our bees will get used to the Northern BC Boreal Forest climate.
Facts about boreal forest:
1. The boreal zone circles the world. Canada has 28% of the world's boreal zone - that's 552 million hectares
2. Canada's boreal zone stretches from Youkon and Northern British Columbia to Newfoundland & Labrador.
3. Much of Canada's boreal zone is covered in forested lands that are made up of trees, such as pine, spruce, larch, fir, poplat and birch. The boreal zone also includes thousands of lakes, rivers and wetlands.
4. The boreal zone is home to an extensive range of mammals, insects, fungi and micro-organisms. 150 bird species - which is half of the bird species in Canada live in this region.
5. 70% of Aboriginal communities in Canada are located in forested regions. The boreal forest is culturally and economically significant to Canada's Aboriginal peoples.
6. Canada's boreal forest is often portrayed as one vast tract of ancient , pristine wilderness but isn't the case. Although the boreal region itself is ancient, the boreal forest: is made up mostly of trees that are relatively young compared with many that grow in more temperate climates; is regularly affected by forest fire, insects and other natural disturbances; continually renews itself through these natural disturbances.
7. The boreal forest needs natural disturbances. These disturbances: remove aged trees from the forest; expose the land to sunlight again; allow the next group of trees to germinate and grow into a new forest; release nutrients from the trees
8. Canada's boreal forest is sustainably managed