BUZZBUZZ, the new Leura village shop is all about bees and other pollinators.
Story and photos by Linda Moon
Australian Pollinator Week 2023 is 11-19 November. And BUZZBUZZ is a new shop that has opened in Leura to champion pollinators. You can too.
Key Points:
The latest new shop in Leura is all about celebrating and raising awareness of pollinators.
Without pollinators the health of the planet is at risk.
There’s a lot that you can do to help pollinators.
What flower visitors do you owe for your chocolate bar, orange juice, smashed avo, nut trail mix, almond milk and juicy watermelon (in fact, about a third of our food supply)? You probably guessed it: pollinators.
Pollinators – for those who don’t know – are creatures that transmit pollen from the male part of flowers to the female part. Though unintentional, this action is highly significant. An essential part of plant reproduction, it enables many plants to make fruit, seeds and new plants.
Along with their vital role in our food supply, pollinators also help sustain the planet’s wildlife and the health of ecosystems.
The newest shop in Leura Mall is helping celebrate them as it opens its doors in Pollinator Week.
Bee-centric products
The creation of Joanne Day, a passionate beekeeper and former owner of Little Paris Cafe, BUZZBUZZ features unique, feel-good reminders of the value of bees and other pollinators. Along with local honey, organic chocolates and sticky chai sweetened only with raw, natural honey, there are colourful homewares, handmade jewellery, watches, potted flowers, soaps, glassware, beeswax candles, moisturisers, clothing, books and more to browse.
I’m trying to showcase as many Blue Mountains creatives as possible – Joanne Day
“There’s this wonderful woman based in Hazelbrook doing some gorgeous jewellery for me. She grows the flowers in her garden, and presses them in resin. The flowers are connected, because without the bees and all the other pollinators we don’t get so many flowers.”
BUZZBUZZ also sells bee and pollinator friendly seed packets. “You don’t have to be a beekeeper,” she says. “I’ve got so many other things in the shop.”
Joanne Day, owner of BUZZBUZZ and Sue Carney of Blue Mountains Beekeepers hope to create a buzz about bees.
Have a pollinator-friendly chat
Beyond the retail side of things, Joanne’s intention is public education and engagement. “I have a bee buddy (Sue Carney, founder and vice-president of Blue Mountains Beekeepers) working two days in the shop,” she explains. “She’s creating some amazing documents that I can hand out to people who are interested. We’ll have lots of information, things like, ‘what to do if you have a swarm’, all these reference points for people, like if you want to become beekeepers.”
Joanne has two hives of her own at her Blue Mountains home and has been practising beekeeping for nearly 10 years. “I think it will be a great place to come and have a chat,” she says. “Beekeepers, when they get together, we just talk about bees. We’re a funny lot.”
While we tend to associate bees with the European Honey Bee, there’s an estimated 2,500 different bee species (about 10 per cent of the global species) in Australia. Amazingly, a good portion of these haven’t even been named yet. And, sadly, they may become extinct before anyone discovers them.
Birds, butterflies and other pollinators
Of course, bees aren’t the only pollinators.
“I’ve also found a wonderful creative who is an entomologist and creating these museum grade specimens of butterflies,” Joanne says. (The specimens are butterflies that have passed away on butterfly farms.)
Joanne handpicks her wares to preference creatives with good sustainable business practices.
And take note local art and craftspeople: she’s had trouble locating products that showcase bats. “Bats are major pollinators,” Joanne says. “They do the night shift.”
Unique handmade beeswax candles and pollinator art, just some of the locally crafted wares at Leura’s BUZZBUZZ.
Pollinator week 2023
In the spirit of Pollinator Week, BUZZBUZZ will be gifting free pollinator info and small packets of ‘feed the bees and pollinators’ seeds to customers over 11-19th November 2023. All purchasing customers are also eligible to go into the draw for a free hamper of goodies from BUZZBUZZ.
Australian Pollinator Weekis a designated annual space for raising awareness and creating helpful community actions around pollinators.
While bees (including the wild kind) do the lion’s share of pollination, pollinators cross many unique and diverse species. This includes well-known and loved critters – birds and butterflies – and less acknowledged, unsung ones like wasps (which are related to bees), some species of flies (such as hoverflies), beetles, bats, moths, some reptiles (skinks, lizards and geckos) and some small mammals like rodents and the Australian long-nosed honey possum.
Bees are in decline and need our help.
Can you help?
Pollinators badly need our help. Surveys show their populations are in rapid decline. Over 40 per cent of insect species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades, according to a review of 73 reports on declining insect populations in the journal Biological Conservation, January 2019. Species decreasing in the greatest numbers include butterflies, moths, bees and wasps.
Key causes include pesticides, fertilisers and other agricultural chemicals, land clearing and habitat destruction (especially that caused by agriculture), plus parasites like Varroa Mite.
A 2022 study by Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health claimed the global loss of pollinators is contributing to 500,000 early deaths a year through reductions to the yield of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Such plant-based foods protect human health from disease.
The solution, according to the study authors, is to halt pesticide use, preserve and restore natural habitats and grow more flowers.
We can all make a difference in our own backyard. And, because we’re so deeply connected to pollinators, when we help them we help ourselves!
Take Action:
Visit BUZZBUZZ and get some free info. It’s located next to the Leura carpark in the Strand Arcade.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
🍃Volunteer weekly at the Planetary Health Centre 🍃
From next week, Tuesday 28th April, come and join Leni from @alchemyfarms_permaculture from 10am - 12pm, to help with the management of the Planetary Health veggie gardens, where any surplus produce can be shared!
The gardening session will be followed by a complimentary tea or coffee in the Planetary Health cafe.
📆Day: Every Tuesday 🕙Time: 10AM - 12PM
📍Where: Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre 33-39 Acacia Street Katoomba (follow the pathways at each side of the building, round to the terrace and gardens).
What shall I bring? All you need to bring is water, gardening gloves and a hat.
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting the first year Medical students from @notredamesyd for their Rural and Indigenous Immersion trip across Katoomba and Lithgow. Across two days, 150 students learnt about the link between human health and a healthy environment, the work of the @bluemountainsplanetaryhealth Initiative and the @bluemountainscitycouncil to create climate resilient communities, and got to explore our site using heat mapping tools....
Join Rotarians for Planetary Health on International Women`s Day, from 2.30-4pm Sun 8 March, for the opening of a portrait display to celebrate local women who have made a meaningful impact on protecting animals and nature. The photographs by Sue Lightfoot and others are part of a long-term initiative to build a living, community-driven database of women working to protect animals and the natural world.
The display will be open until 1 April, Thursday to Saturday, 9.30am–3.30pm at the Junction 142 Village markets (church space). As the project develops, community members will be invited to nominate women whose work deserves recognition.
The launch follows the Uniting Church and Plant Inspired`s monthly community luncheon from 12-2pm, which this month features the Older Women`s Network Blue Mountains. For more information contact 0434 691 496 (Teya)
In a world being threatened by war, greed, cruelty and selfishness, the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend will close with a gathering of people who have faith that kindness, generosity, love, creativity and community, and the healing of our land, are a better way forward. We`re thrilled that harpist Dawn Egan will be performing at this inspiring event in the Planetary Health exhibition space. Afternoon tea will be provided. Register to attend here (link in profile under Wellness Weekend): https://bit.ly/4kUkzfm
Had lunch yet? Head over to the Planetary Health Centre for these delicious offerings from @8thingskatoomba today (Sat 28 Feb): South Indian dosa, Korean bao, NY Cheese burger, Bali nasi, Mullum tofu fries, shoestring fires & red bean mochi!
Don`t miss hearing Andrew Skeoch at 2pm today at the Planetary Health Centre! He`s an acoustic ecologist and author of `Deep Listening to Nature` and uses technology to help identify the different `conversations` happening in the world around us. His presentations are a revelation! Reserve your spot here (link in profile under Planetary Health Wellness Weekend): https://bit.ly/4kUkzfm
Experience the joy and sense of purpose that connecting to community, nature, and your own creativity can provide this weekend at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend. There will be delicious food and coffee, music, art, workshops, nature walks, talks, an Interfaith Gathering and the following stalls:
Food vendor: @8thingskatoomba Zensational Coffee Cart @blue_mts_conservation_society Blue Mountains Wildplant Rescue Blue Mountains Women`s Health & Resource Centre (BMWHRC) Greater Blue Mountains Rotary @permaculturematters Acoustic Ecologist and author of ‘Deep Listening to Nature’, Andrew Skeoch @lacebrookstitchery Sustainable death care BMCC Sustainability and Waste team BMCC Bushcare team View the full program and reserve your spot for a range of activities here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4kUkzfm
Are humans the only species capable of grief? While grief is often treated as a uniquely human experience, any animal capable of forming attachments also has the capacity to grieve. Join Teya Brooks Pribac, author of ‘Animal Grief and Spirituality: Cross-Species Perspectives’ at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Sat 28 Feb, as she reviews key theoretical foundations of cross-species grief. The flip side of deeply caring for animals is the grief we also feel when we lose them - beloved companion animals, wildlife, or animals harmed by human activity. By validating both nonhuman animal grief and human grief for other animals, this presentation invites a more compassionate and inclusive understanding of loss. Reserve your spot here (link in profile for Wellness Weekend): https://bit.ly/4kUkzfm
Would you like to help those around you who may be struggling with their mental health? Come along to the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Sat 28 Feb for an Introduction to Mental Health First Aid. Rotarian Ian Scott will define mental health, talk briefly about the most common mental health issues in Australia, and cover the basics of recognising when someone is experiencing a mental health issue or problem. He`ll outline what is covered in a full Mental Health First Aid course. We are planning to deliver a course later this year so it`s a great opportunity to learn more. Reserve your spot here (Link in profile for PH Wellness Weekend): https://bit.ly/4kUkzfm
At our Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Sat 28 Feb, Christopher Smith and Juan Roberson, Shared Reading facilitators, will introduce how the reading and discussion of great short stories and poetry can change lives and strengthen social connection, compassion, and empathy. Shared Reading, or social bibliotherapy, for all ages, is one of the most inspiring and magical ways of dealing with loneliness and the struggles of the human condition. "Shared reading makes the process of revealing who you are to other people safer." Learn how groups can be run in-person and online. Reserve your spot here (Wellness Weekend link in profile): https://bit.ly/4kUkzfm
You can view Christopher Smith`s TED Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dAxk61E0R88
It`s just under a week until the Blue Mountains Interfaith Gathering on Sun 1 March, starting with a smoking ceremony by Chris Tobin at 2pm. It`s the culmination of the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend which is looking at physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Afternoon tea will be provided. Reserve your spot here (link in profile under Wellness Weekend): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Join Harumi Hayakawa for an introduction to ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Saturday 28 February. You’ll get hands-on practice creating an arrangement and learn about the history and philosophy of ikebana, and how this calm, meditative practice uses flowers as a gentle and creative form of therapy. Reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Linda Moon has lived in the upper Blue Mountains since childhood and is a freelance writer for Australian media. A qualified naturopath, permaculture designer, mother and former student of social work, her passion is building local community, gardening, mental, emotional, social, housing and environmental health – all of which are linked!
As global food insecurity increases, research suggests that the ‘planetary health diet’ is one solution. This calls for a shift towards a plant-based diet and more local food production. Local social enterprise Farm it Forward is showing how this can be done in school yards and one backyard after another.
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