By now, you probably already know that the small, short-lived Honey bee is an asset to farmers. In fact, about one-third of the Earth’s food supply can be produced thanks to the work of Honey bees and other pollinators. However, that food supply is in danger due to the emergence of colony collapse disorder (aka CCD) that has wiped out more than 30 percent of Honey bee populations each year since 2007, when it was first discovered.
This week, during National Pollinator Week, earth-friendly beauty-care company Burt’s Bees premiered, “Burt Talks to the Bees,” a creative, whimsical and educational series of three short films created by Isabella Rossellini, actor, director and uncanny impersonator of Burt’s Bees co-founder and mascot Burt Shavitz. In the videos, you will meet the full bee cast—queen, workers and drones—for a personal and touching glimpse into the world of Honey bees that is sure to make you sympathetic to their plight. Rossellini’s uncanny ability to combine scientific accuracy with storytelling creates a lighthearted approach to environmentalism that piques viewers’ curiosity.
Shavitz was himself a beekeeper. His bees made the wax in the company’s first Beeswax Lip Balm 25 years ago, making bees an integral part of the company’s history. That’s why Burt’s Bees is collaborating with bee experts at the Pollinator Partnership—a nonprofit dedicated to health, protection, and conservation of pollinating animals—and artists to get people to care about bees.
“Each of us lives in a habitat, and we have the opportunity, in fact, the responsibility, to nurture and promote healthy habitat,” says Laurie Davies Adams, executive director of the Pollinator Partnership. “By sharing a bit of lawn, a schoolyard, a farm border, an office landscape or a roadside with blooming, pollinator-friendly plants, we create a connection that supports healthy ecosystems and a sustainable future. All of our actions join to build something invaluable to the very plants and pollinators that feed us.”
Coinciding with the launch of the films, Burt’s Bees launched the “Wild for Bees” website, providing information and tools people need to do their part for the bees—everything from guerilla gardening to tips on fearlessly hanging out with bees.
“At Burt’s Bees, we’ve always taken colony collapse disorder and the health of the Honey bees very seriously,” says Jim Geikie, vice president of customer strategy and marketing at Burt’s Bees. “The opportunity to work with Isabella on this film project has given us the chance to shed light on this important issue in an incredibly artful and theatrical new way that I think viewers will really enjoy.”
See all the “Burt Talks to the Bees” videos here.
