Artemis Smiles Honeybee Sanctuary
Our Mission
To restore a loving, reverent and mutually-beneficial relationship between honeybees and humans. The Honeybee Sanctuary was established in 2001 by Alison Yahna, as a place where bees are able to live according to their own natural behaviors, impulses and life-cycle. Through rescue, conservation, education and advocacy we work to protect honeybees, other pollinators and their critical habitats. Our bees are loved, honored and revered as teachers who reveal to us the ancient truths and new awareness needed to move back into a harmonious relationship with Mother Nature.
About Us
For over 20 years Artemis Smiles has rescued wild honeybees colonies in nuisance locations (houses, electric meter-boxes) who would otherwise be poisoned, by removing and rehoming them at the Sanctuary. Although we love the bees so much, the true significance of our rescue is much greater than the individual hive we save.
We are actually creating a 'seed bank' of bee colonies whose 80+ million years of genetic wisdom remains intact. Every wild Queen, who has not been damaged by selective breeding or factory-farming production methods, holds in her body the future of her species, and that of humanity. Two of every three bites of food we eat is directly or indirectly the result of honeybee pollination, from your morning cup coffee, to that delicious berry cobbler you had for desert last night. In fact, the fate of our global human civilization is riding on the tiny golden backs of these essential agricultural partners.
Most people are not aware that honeybees have fallen from their ancient beloved status in human consciousness into industrial factory farming and loveless exploitation. They are migrated in airless semi-trucks, artificially inseminated and assembly line produced for export, selectively bred, medicated, exposed to pesticides, crowded unnaturally together causing disease and stress, and left to starve after over-harvesting of their honey. These kinds of commercial beekeeping practices are leading honeybees to the brink of collapse. And so education and advocacy for the bees is a primary focus of our organization. Hundreds of people visit our Honeybee Sanctuary every year - from school children to tourists and aspiring beekeepers -to learn about bees and how we can help them thrive. We are pioneers in the natural and regenerative beekeeping movement; providing hands on experience, advice, workshops, consultation, and media such as articles, interviews and even an award winning feature film.
We are actually creating a 'seed bank' of bee colonies whose 80+ million years of genetic wisdom remains intact. Every wild Queen, who has not been damaged by selective breeding or factory-farming production methods, holds in her body the future of her species, and that of humanity. Two of every three bites of food we eat is directly or indirectly the result of honeybee pollination, from your morning cup coffee, to that delicious berry cobbler you had for desert last night. In fact, the fate of our global human civilization is riding on the tiny golden backs of these essential agricultural partners.
Most people are not aware that honeybees have fallen from their ancient beloved status in human consciousness into industrial factory farming and loveless exploitation. They are migrated in airless semi-trucks, artificially inseminated and assembly line produced for export, selectively bred, medicated, exposed to pesticides, crowded unnaturally together causing disease and stress, and left to starve after over-harvesting of their honey. These kinds of commercial beekeeping practices are leading honeybees to the brink of collapse. And so education and advocacy for the bees is a primary focus of our organization. Hundreds of people visit our Honeybee Sanctuary every year - from school children to tourists and aspiring beekeepers -to learn about bees and how we can help them thrive. We are pioneers in the natural and regenerative beekeeping movement; providing hands on experience, advice, workshops, consultation, and media such as articles, interviews and even an award winning feature film.
Our Videos
