Guest Editorial: Thank your pollinators this Thanksgiving

This year, why not feature a bouquet of flowers as the Thanksgiving table centerpiece rather than a turkey, in honor of the hardworking pollinators that helped most of our foods grow and fruit? To us flowers represent sheer beauty, but to pollinators, they represent a feast of pollen and nectar.

One in every three bites of food we eat is courtesy of insect pollination and that food contains major proportions of essential micronutrients like vitamins A & C, iron, zinc, folate, amino acids and antioxidants. Even some of the plants that cows eat (alfalfa and clover) to produce milk—from which we make cheese, butter and ice cream—and beef, depend on pollinators.

In addition to the European honey bee introduced to North America in 1622, pollinators include the bumble, orchard, squash and other bees, as well as moths, beetles, hummingbirds, butterflies, bats, and flies.

Insect pollinators travel from flower to flower during sunny days that are warm enough for flight, visiting as many as 1,000 flowers per day, gathering nectar and spreading pollen along the way. Flowers evolved nectar as pollinator bait. Drawn to the nectar, pollinators inadvertently do what most plants cannot do for themselves—move the pollen (the male part of the plant) to the plants’ female parts to make seeds. That’s why we have fruits and nuts!

There are about 3,600 species of native wild bees in the United States, but their numbers are declining due to pesticide exposure, habitat loss, poor nutrition and diseases. Indeed, the once-common rusty patched bumble bee was added to the Endangered Species List in 2017.

Pollinators depend on flowers with nectar; without flowers many species starve. Moreover, without the pollinators, 90 percent of all species of wild plants and trees may eventually become extinct.  

According to the Xerces Society book, Attracting Native Pollinators, “In China’s Sichuan Province, one of the largest apple producing regions in the world, farmers perch on ladders in mountainside orchards to pollinate blossoms by hand. The farmers have adopted this practice because wild bees are now absent in their area, and honey beekeepers refuse to bring in their hives due to excessive pesticide use in the orchards.”

When we take care of the pollinators by planting the locally native plants they co-adapted with over millions of years, and by using insecticides, fungicides or herbicides only when there is no alternative, not only are we ensuring food supplies for man and animal, we are also encouraging beneficial insects that prey on true crop pests. All of the fragrant, colorful flowers aren’t so bad either.

So, as you scoot that cranberry sauce onto your bite of turkey, thank a bumble bee. And when you savor that pumpkin pie, thank a squash bee. If it’s served a la mode, thank a leafcutter bee for pollinating the dairy cow’s alfalfa. If you chase it with a cup of coffee, thank a tropical stingless bee or fly. You might even consider capping off the evening with a mead wine toast to our little striped friend, the honey bee.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Learn more about Bee City USA here. For more information about our local Bee City US program, contact Gretchen Reid. Check out our article about Martha Krauss, who helped bring Bee City USA to Matthews!

How to Read a Garden

On a rainy afternoon just like this one, I ran across this quote from the Roman Stoic philosopher Cicero.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

Being both a gardener and a writer, as well as a librarian in a past life, I fully agree with this sentiment. Being also a bit of a skeptic when it comes to internet quotes, I did a little research into these words. The general agreement is that Cicero did write these words in a letter to a friend. The literal translation is, “If you have a garden in your library, you have everything you need”. Many, if not most, homes of wealthier Romans had inner outdoor courtyards with a garden. So in this context, the literal translation may be the correct one.  

In my case, the literal translation may also be the more apt one. Most of my Life has been spent with books and gardens. Even my career has revolved around the the worlds of plants and words. They have informed each other, shaped how I see the world, and helped make me who I am today.

Gardens and libraries are both repositories of information. The written, spoken, and filmed words you find in today’s libraries bring the world’s knowledge to anywhere there are people seeking to learn. A garden brings the experiential version of much of that knowledge. Let’s call it an interactive library of science and art. So the two concepts support one another. You may experience some natural or man-made phenomena in a garden, and go to the library to find out about it. Or you may read about/hear about/see some amazing garden at the library, and then go and see it or try to recreate that effect. However the approach, the effect will be some wisdom gained.

And knowledge gained and applied, multiplied by the experience of using that knowledge, is in fact, a type of wealth. The designer and philosopher Buckminster Fuller offered this idea as a definition of wealth. We are always learning more and experiencing more. As we apply this knowledge and experience to our lives through our actions, we become more wealthy.

That’s certainly been my experience. Through my time spent in libraries and gardens, I have learned how to feed myself by growing, cooking, and eating lots of fresh food, how to heal myself by growing and using all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, how to construct shelters using plants and soil, how to provide money for myself by growing food/flower/fuel/fiber plants for others, and how to heal local and planetary environments by growing/planting/using plants. The biological processes alone could keep you busy learning, teaching, and doing your entire life!

Add to that the artistic and spiritual knowledge and experience you’ll find in a garden. I often say that gardens don't just feed our bodies; they feed our souls as well. We’ve all experienced the restful coolness of a forested garden. The riot of color in most flower gardens stimulates us and lifts our spirits. As we gain the confidence to create our own gardens, we have the opportunity to indulge our inner artist. Our creative nature is engaged, and new parts of the brain may even be activated.

Just as a well-loved book will have worn, stained pages, a well-loved garden will have worn paths to certain areas, often stained with the blood, sweat and tears of the gardener. Special sections of both books and gardens will be easy to find. That's where the most attention goes. Follow the most often used trail in any garden to see what the gardener enjoys most. Find the most dog-earred pages in a book to discovered the most treasured passages. In either case, the  knowledge is where the wealth is, because that’s where the Love is.

Remember to enjoy your garden (and your library), because THAT’S what makes you a successful gardener.

Hand Turkey Placemats For the Thanksgiving Win

If you’re already planning your Thanksgiving table, we have a fun printable Hand Turkey How-To to add to the kids’ places. Right click and save the image, then print it on 11 x 17” paper on a laser printer or copier. If you have neither send it to Kinko’s. Add some crayons or colored pencils to the place setting. Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned hand turkey on Thanksgiving? It’s an heirloom and a crumb catcher all in one.

Scribbling is, of course, a-ok too.

A New Yoga: Combining Body Awareness and Healing

The origins for “Yoga for Addiction, Recovery, and Mental Health” involve serendipity - having taught other yoga classes at the Y, a mutual acquaintance put Liz Belser E-RYT 500 in touch with Dion Lovallo, owner of the new Carolina Center for Recovery. The two decided to join forces and offer a class for addiction recovery.

Yoga for Addiction, Recovery and Mental Health, Mondays from 7-8 PM. Brace YMCA, 3127 Weddington Rd, Matthews.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

With a new class, “Yoga for Addiction, Recovery, and Mental Health,” starting this month at the Brace Y (Mondays 7-8 p.m.), long-time yoga teacher and Matthews resident, Liz Belser will be doing what she does best in all her classes – bringing awareness to the body and helping accentuate the breath.

“I always weave into my classes the “tools,” (which are) anywhere from breathing – there’s all kinds of breathing that can (help) people (cope with) anxiety and stress – down to places of being present and aware,” said Belser.

A Matthews-based practitioner, Belser’s classes and workshops have primarily revolved around yoga for mental health – a topic she knows well, having suffered from depression and anxiety. She will bring to the mat her knowledge and understanding of the complexity these stressors trigger. “It’s always a work in progress,” she said. “Sometimes it will (be ok) and sometimes it will rear its ugly head… All the (same) tools worked for me and I just had to share it.”

The origins for this new class involve serendipity - having taught other yoga classes at the Y, a mutual acquaintance put her in touch with Dion Lovallo, owner of the new Carolina Center for Recovery, also in Matthews. The two decided to join forces and suggested this class to Y leadership. To both of them, this would be a win-win for all.

Lovallo’s clients are given Y privileges as a way of integrating mind and body. It is mandatory for those in the highest level of treatment to exercise and/or work out at the fitness center daily. For Belser, this would be a way to stretch her repertoire, connect with, and help a new group.

“(This will be) different than the mental health group, but, there’s always going to be a mental health piece. I’m still teaching the same tools, but there will absolutely be another layer of compassion - another layer of sensitivity,” she said.

“I’m so excited to move forward and get this going. It’s funny how the universe works. As a community a few years ago, I don’t think we could have gotten this going. But the recovery center is now here and the Y is onboard.”

“I’m so excited to move forward and get this going. It’s funny how the universe works. As a community a few years ago, I don’t think we could have gotten this going. But the recovery center is now here and the Y is onboard,” said Belser.

For Lovallo, this is a natural progression of the recovery and healing process. “We always wanted to incorporate yoga somehow but didn’t know how to do it. This just showed up and worked out perfectly,” he said. “For myself, since I’m (also) in recovery, being in fitness (is important)….anything to get people out of their comfort zone helps in many ways.”

Belser understands the complexity of these issues.

“What sets this class apart from other yoga classes is an extra level of mindfulness and compassion,” said Belser. “If people have been through a traumatic experience, and may just be fearful, they may worry about where to stand in the room or recognize there may be the possibility of triggers. That being said, I won’t hand out (exercise) straps... You never know what emotions or experiences someone is bringing to the class,” she said. “(I’ll be) bringing into it (the importance of) reconnecting with the body, rather than assuming that people already have that connection to the body and body awareness.”

“Addiction is a place to disconnect,” she said. “We want to help them connect to their body safely and feel resilient in that moment, feel strong in that moment - this is instrumental in cultivating self-belief. Just being in that moment and acknowledging your body is a step toward healing,” said Belser.

“It’s not my place to understand what someone’s diagnosis is, what someone’s struggle is. I’m not a therapist; in yoga, it’s all about the body experience.”

Will she ask information of the participants? “The only information I’ll ask is if there’s anything they want to share. It’s not my place to understand what someone’s diagnosis is, what someone’s struggle is. I’m not a therapist; in yoga, it’s all about the body experience,” she said.

To that aim, she’ll be available before and after class, for anyone in need of some help. She also plans to attend an AA or NAMI group – something she’s never done. “I’ve gone into this very humbly because I haven’t had an experience with addiction. (Regarding attending a meeting) I don’t mean to come into it with judgments, but with curiosity and compassion, so that I can teach with an open heart.”

Belser says she’s already been approached by people curious about the concept, but mindful of the stigma that taking the class may hold. “A student asked me if they will call (the class) that, but I feel strongly about (doing so). There are people who I know must be thinking, ‘If I walk through that door at that moment (class time), then I’ll be judged as an addict or in recovery, or dealing with some sort of mental health issue.’ ” However, Belser said she is happy that the subject (and the descriptive name of the class) aren’t being “sugar-coated.”

“We all have our own addictions; one person’s addiction may (or may not) be as serious. We are all struggling with something, whether it’s (serious) or you’re having a crappy day,” Belser said. “Hopefully I’ve presented it in a way that will allow people to come thru the door and just see what happens.”

“I can only speak from personal experience. It’s invaluable to discover and use and see the efficiency and success from your own ability to find your strength and create change in your whole being. It may happen in baby steps, but you might, in a moment, say that you feel better now than an hour ago.”

“I can only speak from personal experience. It’s invaluable to discover and use and see the efficiency and success from your own ability to find your strength and create change in your whole being,” she said. “It may happen in baby steps, but you might, in a moment, say that you feel better now than an hour ago.”

Ultimately, the healer becomes the individual. “Nothing major changed. I didn’t give you a box of pills. I didn’t say you were healed. YOU created that change,” said Belser. “That’s all I’m doing is guiding and (letting) you do the work. I don’t know what kind of price tag that you put on that. To be walking around as a human being who is healing and thriving. I just think that’s amazing.”

Local Leaves: A Growing Collection

We have four more leaves to add to your collection: sassafrass, dogwood, chestnut (variety unknown), and elm. Print out these leaf rubbings to make flash cards, color them in (go crazy on the color or stick to our notes on their typical fall colors) and see if you can match them in to the trees around you. Right click the image to save and print or click here to print.
The first page of leaves can be found here.

Outdoor Bootcamp for Modern-Day Gladiators

Driving past Stumptown Park, drivers may catch a glimpse of men and women working out in a variety of ways. Called “Camp Gladiator,” they’re seeing individuals participating in an outdoor-only fitness boot camp, which offers classes three times/week;  three times a day to nearly 60 clients.

Based on increasing interest, Stumptown Park is one of two workout locations for Camp Gladiator franchise owner and born and raised Matthews resident/personal trainer, Jeff Kelly, 27. He hopes to double that number by early next year.

While average age is 25-45, this year-round camp is intended for “all fitness levels. It’s a go-at-your-pace boot camp,” said Kelly, adding that he’s “here to push you….(It’s for those who) want to maintain their health and fitness or they want to get back to where they (once) were.”

“Our campers can bring their kids – several bring babies in strollers and (their) children,” he said.  “One camper uses her child as a weight,” he added, laughing.

Gladiator offers 10 five-week camps each year;  themes are structured around endurance training, strength and agility, metabolic training, peak and a wrap-up week.

Kelly said he’s thrilled to be bringing a sport he loves to a town he loves even more.

Local Leaves

We may not get the prettiest leafscape this fall, but the trees that are changing are magnificent. Did you know the colors of leaves are one helpful way to learn tree identification? Over the next few days we’re posting some common tree leaves and what type of tree they are. Print them out and make flash cards, color them in (any color you’d like) and see if you can match them in the wild. Right click the image to save and print or click here to print.

The Successful Gardener Says: Go Forth and Multiply

The process is simple enough: Dig a clump of plants, then pull, cut or break the sections apart into the size you want, then replant.

This Old Testament admonition to the children of Israel is a call to action for gardeners in the Fall. While more gardeners are always welcome, in this instance, we are multiplying the plants in our garden. Many perennial plants can be divided into several new clumps of plants. “Wait a minute”, I can hear you say, “you said we were to go forth and multiply. Now you’re saying we have to divide! I know there’s new math, but I’m pretty sure multiplication and division are two different functions.” In math, that is true. But this is a post about gardening, so I can use the terms literally, not arithmetically.

Seriously, Fall is a great time to divide perennial plants of all kinds. The process is simple enough. Dig a clump of plants, making sure you have adequate root system in the clump. Then pull, cut or break the sections apart into the size you want to plant. This could be a simple division into two pieces, or multiple divisions into individual plantlets. The first divisions can be quite hard, especially if you’ve let the plant increase for several years without division. Some plants are naturally difficult to divide, like Siberian Iris. I’ve had to use a pick and an axe to dig and divide them. But as you loosen the root ball (which is rarely ball-shaped, BTW), the individual plantlets will loosen their grip, and it gets easier.

Plants will bloom more profusely when divided. Irises of all kinds give you more blooms after division.

Why do we divide plants, if it’s so much work? There are “multiple” reasons, of course. First, we all want more plants, and why not create our own? For some plants, division is the preferred method of propagation. If we want a specific hosta cultivar, that’s how we get one. Many plants grow better over time if they are divided occasionally. Shasta daisy, one of the premiere plants in The Living Garden, will decline over the seasons if not multiplied ever few years. Plants will bloom more profusely when divided. Irises of all kinds give you more blooms after division. And if you have a very vigorous plant, division is an easy way to keep it in bounds.

I’ve written earlier about multiplier and walking onions. If you haven’t harvested, divided, eaten (some of them, anyway), and replanted some of these perennial vegetables, it’s time! Asparagus, however, will be much easier to divide once all of the foliage has died back.

You can wait a bit on other plants, too. Hostas, irises, and daylilies are a bit easier to divide once the foliage has gone dormant. You can, of course, go ahead and divide them now, if you want, but it will put more stress on the plant.

One more tip for you. Make sure that you get roots and crown with each division. If you can get some “eyes” or buds for stem growth the following season, though these aren’t always visible. In making sure you get all parts of a plant, you will have a much better chance of success in your planting.

Get out there and divide some of your plants in order to multiply the opportunities to enjoy your garden. It’s that enjoyment that makes you a Successful Gardener!!!

Article and photos by Jeff Rieves

Bowspring Yoga

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Wednesday nights, in Room 102 at the Matthews Community Center, at least one dozen participants are moving into positions, sweating and sometimes groaning during their weekly Bowsprings yoga session.

While groaning is rarely a reflection of pain, rather, just a sign of exertion and movement in ways not seen before, some of the contortionist-looking postures may sometimes appear counter-intuitive to more traditional forms and methodologies of yoga.

Where, for example, you might hear an instructor exhorting you to draw your bellybutton toward your spine and tuck your tailbone slightly under (traditional Downward-Facing Dog). Here, with bent knees (Crouching Cat), you would be asked to bow your belly forward as you move your hips up and back, maintaining the low back curve.

This is one of the newest forms of yoga, started in Colorado seven years ago by Desi Springer and John Friend - both long-time yoga teachers. It is being taught in Matthews by yoga teacher, Linda Oelschlaeger, 71, from Weddington, who has been teaching at the Matthews Community Center for 18 years, six of which have solely focused on the Bowspring technique. Oelschlaeger is the only Bowspring teacher in the Charlotte region and only one of a few Bowspring teachers in North Carolina.  

Photos by Cyma Shapiro

According to the Global Bowspring website, Bowspring yoga is a mind-body practice which focuses on moving toward a specific geometric shape through 10 key areas of the body in a dynamic neutral position. The practice seeks “proportionally ideal curvy alignment between the head, neck, ribcage, waist, and pelvis, in which functional movement is optimized with the least amount of force required.” With this methodology, connective tissue can elongate, not by straightening limbs as other methods require, but by curving it.

For Oelschlaeger, who studies with both Springer and Friend, Bowsprings was the next step both in her own personal practice and in her teachings to others. “I just worked the (new exercises) in as a general process,” she said. Some people liked the new change, others dropped out. But, she encouraged her class to stick to a process that requires at least a few months of constant practice, to see positive outcomes. “With practice and time, Bowsprings becomes more natural,” she said.

(Several class participants have been involved with Linda’s Bowsprings yoga for years, choosing not only to become close to other class members, but to support, meet up with and form friendships outside of class.)

“Many older people who have had injuries may appreciate the way it relieves pain and the therapeutic aspect of it,” she said. “It resonated for me. I liked the way it felt in my body. It’s challenging and I felt I could access different parts of my body which I felt I couldn’t access with (other) yoga,” said Oelschlaeger.

“It is a natural, animalistic, primal type of movement,” she explained, noting that there are other traditions and methods which are also moving more toward curvy alignment now and a curving (not a straightening of) the knees.

Photos by Cyma Shapiro

“Because it is curvy and dynamic and we pulse and move, as long as you do it with healthy alignment…I know I like it and I know that others appreciate it. The thing is that it can appreciate into your daily life – how you stand, how you bend over when you use the dishwasher, or how you squat to pick up something. So, using those principles in every movement you make is freeing. Ride a bicycle, climb a mountain, run…you can use that (same) alignment,” said Oelschlaeger.

Unlike more traditional forms of yoga with time-worn poses and phraseology, Bowsprings intent, positioning, framework and even terminology is different. Hence: Earth Foot, Crouching Foot, Zig-Zag Legs, Salt Hands, Seed Hands, Harvest Hands, Dome Hands and Jewel Hands, for example. Full-body movements include pulsing or jumping.

In a traditional yoga class, you start on your mat in the middle of the room with a prescribed sequence of movements. In Bowsprings yoga, it varies from one class to the next, beginning with simple warm-ups and moving on to more strenuous/rigorous movements and poses including arm and leg stands on both the ground and the walls.

Six-year student, Vicky Derrer, 69, of Weddington, said she likes the feeling that she hasn’t “failed” if she can’t do all the poses perfectly. “I love the focus on alignment, balance and deep stretching,” said Derrer.  

“I had never taken yoga classes before I started with Linda five years ago. Bowspring yoga has helped me with strength, flexibility, (and made me) more aware of my posture - all the things that are important as we age. AND, Linda is the best!”

— Anne Murray

“I had never taken yoga classes before I started with Linda five years ago,” said Anne Murray, of Weddington.  “Bowspring yoga has helped me with strength, flexibility, (and made me) more aware of my posture - all the things that are important as we age. AND, Linda is the best!”

“I was in the class and had a new-found respect for her students, because it was tough!” said Melissa Johnson, Cultural Recreation Manager for the Community Center. “Her students are all incredibly strong!  They may not have started that way, but this type of yoga definitely builds strength and stamina.” 

In all her sessions, Oelschlaeger reserves the last class for movement with music. “They’ve had eight weeks to learn about alignment,” she said, adding that on that day, they are allowed to move as they wish (with her promptings).

Oelschlaeger hopes to continue teaching and doing yoga for at least twenty more years. “I am grateful for this process. It helps me get stronger. I was in a lot of pain when I started yoga. It’s helping me more and more. I feel like I’m still evolving. I have no pain anymore. I am grateful.”

Bowspring Yoga with Linda Oelschlaeger

Matthews Community Center, 100 McDowell St., East, Matthews, NC 28105 

Cost: Eight sessions: $80 (Matthews residents), $85 (non-residents); Drop-ins: $12

Choose your day: Tuesday: 9:30-11 AM, Wednesday: 6-7:30 PM Thursday: 9:30-11 AM

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Dealing with Ol’ Jack Frost

*Author’s note: This was written Sunday, 10/21/18. Matthews did have some spotty patches of frost, but as of Tuesday morning, no damage had been reported to me.

For those of you who have taken my Successful Gardener classes, you know that our “first” frost (of the Fall) usually occurs around Halloween. So if we have frost in the Matthews area this week, does that mean we’ve been wrong about that date? Not at all. You see, the dates for both “first” and “last” frost are determined by average dates over several years. So a “first” frost of 10/22 is close enough to the average that gardeners should be on the alert for cold weather. Since we spend so much time outside in our gardens and landscapes, we should be aware that it’s cooling off anyway. Yes, it has been unusually warm this Fall, but until I see a definite change in weather patterns, I’m still going to look for frost in late October. And if you’ve spent any time out in the open, you should have noticed that while the Sun was still warm, the air temps are cooler than a few weeks ago. So what does all this mean?

First, any tender annual flowers, herbs, or vegetables might get burned or killed by the frost. You can sometimes cover your plants with old sheets or plant bed floating row covers to protect them. Covers will usually give you an extra 2-5 degrees of protection. That may be enough to get them through the night without damage. It’s worth noting that frost often appears just after sunrise before the Sun has had a chance to warm things up. Don’t be in a hurry to uncover things in your rush to schools and offices.

Frost also brings an unofficial end to the “growing season”, that period between last and first frosts when most folks do the bulk of their vegetable and flower growing. I have to note here that in the Southern Piedmont, we can grow all kinds of great plants nearly all year long. We just have to be aware of the best conditions for each of them. Cooler temps and shorter days, along with regular cloudy conditions, do slow down the growth of many plants, even the hardiest ones. So it’s good to know the last and first frost dates in your area. I’ve already mentioned Halloween as our first frost date. The last frost in the Southern Piedmont is an equally scary date; April 15, otherwise known as “Tax Day”. Again, these dates are averages, so we may have frost events before or after these days.

Cooler weather also brings with it the opportunity to extend our seasons past those dates. I’ve already mentioned the covers you can use for some protection. There are others you can use, as well. I expect all of us have used plastic milk jugs or over-turned flower pots to protect plants overnight. I stopped using those after chasing after and/or collecting them after even a light breeze. You can build a cold frame from lumber or PVC and cover it in a clear (preferably UV resistant) plastic. You can use glass, or even recycled windows or doors. This economical structure offers more protection from the elements. There are lots of plans for these season extenders, and you can find a link to several of them on my website.

“Tunnel growing” is becoming more popular, and there are low and high versions. Essentially unheated greenhouses, they offer even more protection. Used mostly on commercial farms and greenhouse ranges, I think they have use in a home garden, too. You can easily grow lettuce and greens in a tunnel for most of the winter. They have some extra challenges compared to a simple plant bed cover. They can easily overheat on a sunny day, so you’ll need some way to vent excess heat and humidity. Also, snow or ice can collapse a tunnel if the load gets too heavy. But fresh greens are worth it, I think.

Greenhouse growing is, of course, the ultimate in-season extension. It’s also a subject much too detailed for this short review. Be on the lookout for greenhouse information in a future post. Just be aware that frost brings with it new and interesting opportunities to learn new things.

Remember to enjoy your garden, because THAT is what makes you a Successful Gardener!!!

Martha Krauss Speaks for the Bees

Martha Krauss remains one of the most enthusiastic voices and leaders for bee conservancy and preservation in Matthews.  A 45-year-resident, Martha’s work has been pivotal to the establishment of Country Place Park Pollinator Garden and to designating the town a Bee City (USA). Her foray into bees was a natural outgrowth of her upbringing, her passions and her interests in nature.

Tell me a little bit about your life? When did you move here? I grew up on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Even as a child, I loved plants – especially herbs. After marrying Will Krauss, a Naval Officer, we lived in Massachusetts and Maryland.  Upon his discharge we moved to Ohio for his job, and later his career took us to Pennsylvania, then back to Ohio. During some of those years, I taught Elementary Physical Education. In 1973, we moved to Matthews NC.

“With the help of Carol Buie-Jackson we talked to our town manager, Hazen Blodgett, who is also a beekeeper, the process began. Carol and I made a presentation to the Matthews Town Council and in December 8, 2014, they voted unanimously to become a Bee City USA.  We were the fourth town in the nation to become a Bee City USA community. ”

— Martha Krauss

Martha Krauss stands among the pollinator plants at Country Place Pocket Park. Photo by Cyma Shapiro.

What attracted you to being here? Will's job brought us to the south.   Matthews was a very different place then with a population of (approximately) 2,000.  We found a house on five acres, giving us room to build a barn for our two daughters’ horses.  We’ve had goats, chickens, turkeys, dogs and cats at various times. Back then, the road to our house was wooded, had seven houses and a speed limit of 55 m.p.h. Matthews provided a good place to live and raise our family, not to mention that the blue skies and mild winters of North Carolina were a delight!

What were your hopes for being here? To live in a family-friendly town with a sense of community. We have found it to be exactly that.

When did you begin your foray into bees? We became seriously interested about seven years ago and took classes, set up our hive and joined both the Union County and Mecklenburg County Beekeeper Associations.

What did you hope to do with this knowledge? Become successful beekeepers, help the environment, help to educate the public about how important bees are, and to become a part of the beekeeping community.

Why did this become an interest for you? Will and I have always been avid vegetable, flower and shrub gardeners.  About seven years ago, we noticed that there were very few bees.  Since we knew how important it was to have pollinators for our gardens, we decided to look into bee keeping.  One of our friends was already a beekeeper and she helped guide us.  After acquiring the equipment and signing up for a class, she spotted a swarm of bees on the Greenway and they became our first bees!  We now have three hives and a hive of a beekeeper friend.

You are considered one of the preeminent bee enthusiasts in Matthews. How did you come to this role? After taking the Bee Keepers class, I just started talking to everyone about bees and how important they are to our farms, garden and food supply. I really felt like this was something I could help bring an awareness to, to help the bees.

“One third of our foods rely on bees and thousands of other insects to pollinators to fertilize the plants in order for the plant to produce fruits and vegetables that we eat.”

— Martha Krauss

Will and Martha Krauss’ beehives. Photo by Martha Krauss

Do you see any intersection between your passion for this and, perhaps, a philosophical greater life plan? I have always appreciated the beauty of nature and have found peace and solace in tending a garden. The Mennonite simplicity and living close to the earth, that I learned in my childhood, has stayed with me. Adding the bees, watching their community work in common purpose, has been fascinating. To have them gather pollen from our flowers makes us feel a part of their cycle.

What do you want people to know about bees? Bees are a very important component of growing plants.   One third of our foods rely on bees and thousands of other insects to pollinators to fertilize the plants in order for the plant to produce fruits and vegetables that we eat.

What would you like people to do with bees? I would like them to respect bees and acknowledge their importance.  Honey bees are very focused on their jobs and typically won't bother you unless you bother them.  Should a honey bee sting, she dies. Bees are very susceptible to pesticides and herbicides. Through education, the goal is to reduce and ideally eliminate their use to help save the bees.

It would be good for people to plant a variety of flowers that have different bloom times. By doing that it provides a food source, pollen and nectar for them to feed their hive as well as make honey.  Our climate allows us to have something blooming every day of the year!

I understand that you worked hard to help make the town a “Bee City” USA? Tell me more about your desire to do so? I first heard about the Bee City USA designation through the Mecklenburg Beekeepers Association Newsletter.  With the help of Carol Buie-Jackson we talked to our town manager, Hazen Blodgett, who is also a beekeeper, the process began. Carol & I made a presentation to the Matthews Town Council and in December 8, 2014, they voted unanimously to become a Bee City USA.  We were the fourth town in the nation to become a Bee City USA community. Each year we must send a report for an annual renewal.

There are now 115 certified city and campus affiliates across the nation.   Bee City/Campus USA is joining forces with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the largest pollinator protection organization in the world! As of June 30, 2018, Bee City USA will formally become an initiative of Xerces, leveraging Xerces’ 46-year history in support of Bee City USA’s continued growth.

“My first passion in plants was herbs. The lore, utility and fragrance were three of the most fascinating aspects of herbs for me. ”

— Martha Krauss

What are some of the annual events you offer? We participate in Earth Day in the Spring, KIND (Kids in Nature Day) in the Fall and have a booth two times a year at the Matthews Farmers Market.  Matthews Park & Recreation constructed the Country Place Pocket Park at the corner of Country Place and South Trade St.

Who else has been instrumental in the creation and upkeep of the pollinator garden at Country Place Pocket Park? At the request of Matthews Bee City USA, they prepared a place for us to plant a Pollinator Garden.  Many of the plants I already grew in our own garden and others were purchased with help from a grant from Duke Energy.  The planting and upkeep was done by Matthews Bee City USA friends and Cross & Crown Boy Scout Troop 140.  A Boy Scout is now looking at the possibility of expanding and edging the garden for an Eagle project.

Photo of one of the gardens at the Krauss home. Photo by Martha Krauss

Do you regularly attend local events? Initially, Will and I took a class on beekeeping in Union County.  It was a good introduction and we try to attend local workshops. There are classes to become certified and master beekeepers. We attend Mecklenburg Beekeepers Association meetings and sometimes the Union County Beekeepers.  They are very informative with different programs and it is also a good time to talk to other beekeepers. There is an old joke that says if you have five beekeepers talking, you will have seven opinions!

What do you want people to know about you? My first passion in plants was herbs. The lore, utility and fragrance were three of the most fascinating aspects of herbs for me. For some years I propagated mostly unusual herbs by cuttings and sold them to a couple of local hardware stores and to Wing Haven for their Spring Sale. I grew over sixty different kinds of herbs and also did programs. For a couple of springtimes, I worked on Saturdays at Renfrow hardware to help teach customers about herbs.  I was “The Herb Lady.” 

What are your intentions for the future?  After 20 years in business we have retired from our Bed & Breakfast that we hosted in our home.  Our plan is to stay here in Matthews and enjoy working in our gardens, with the bees. We enjoy travel and want to continue that. We have visited all fifty states, now.

One of the Krauss hives that was possibly toppled by a hungry or curious bear. Photo by Martha Krauss

What are your hopes for the future of Matthews (and bees)? We hope that the town continues with good stewardship and that Matthews Bee City USA will continue to provide opportunities to teach about honey bees and pollinators. Residents need to be aware of the problems caused by pesticides and herbicides for our bee population. While sprays can serve a purpose, it is important that they not be used indiscriminately.

The Many Faces of Buzzing Bugs

Photo by Debbie LeBlanc Foster

Bees, wasps, and hornets are amazing creatures!  They are hard workers, often pollinating our flowers and food crops.  We have more than 4,000 species in the US! Did you know that North Carolina is home to more than 500 species of native bees? That’s the good news.  The bad news is that many of our pollinators are at risk, with populations declining by more than 30%, according to Our State magazine.

Let’s look at a few of these buzzing bugs with interesting names,  and how you can make a pollinator-friendly habitat in your yard.

Ever seen a Bald-faced Hornet? How about a Blue-winged Wasp?  A Cow Killer? All of these can be found in NC.

Image via Creative Commons photographer Piccolo Namek

The Bald-faced Hornet builds a bulbous nest that hangs  from a tree or shrub. Stay away from this one! These are aggressive hornets that can sting repeatedly.  Hire a professional to deal with a nest.

Image via Wikimedia Creative Commons

The Blue-winged Wasp is aptly named, with dark metallic blue wings that glint in the sunlight. It is a natural predator of the Japanese beetle, and its larva feed on the beetle grubs. What’s not to love about that!

Image via Wikimedia Creative Commons

Last we’ve got the Cow Killer, AKA the Red Velvet Ant.  These are not ants at all, but members of the wasp family.  The females are wingless and pack a powerful punch with their sting, reputedly enough to kill a cow!

Image via Wikimedia Creative Commons

Want to make your yard pollinator-friendly?  There are lots of ways!

• First, cut the chemicals.  Everything that lives in your yard,  from insects to birds, will thank you for it.

• Next, plant pollinator plants, like zinnias, echinacea, bee balm, coreopsis and goldenrod.  Wasps, hornets, and bees benefit, and you get to enjoy a color yard.

• Finally, be a little messy.  Don’t be so fast to deadhead and clean up plant litter around your yard.  These areas can provide over-wintering places.

These buzzing pollinators provide valuable services to us humans.  Embrace them in your yard!

Photo by Debbie LeBlanc Foster

HAWK: A Partnership Built on Cross-Pollination

For Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, the Matthews chapter of the NC Wildlife Federation, education and awareness go hand-in-hand – something the group strives for in increasing their membership, working closely with the town and finding community and commonality in all their endeavors.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Five years ago HAWK worked with the Town of Matthews to register and certify the town itself as a Wildlife Habitat through the North Carolina Wildlife Federation – the 64th such community to do so in the nation and the first chapter in North Carolina. To date, there are 13 such communities in NC and approximately 200 across the country. To add, “tens of thousands of supporters and activists are currently members in the statewide organization,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of the NCWF.

According to Daniel Jakobovits, avid “tree hugger, wildlife/naturalist,” former vice-present, now new -president of HAWK, education and awareness go hand-in-hand – something the group strives for in increasing their membership, working closely with the town (government) and finding community and commonality in all their endeavors.

“Part of our mission is to continue to educate the public,” said Jakobovits. “You can’t care about something unless you understand it……and there is the intersection of what we do. We (intend to) continue down our mission to educate folks,” he said, adding that people don’t necessarily need to kill the spider or bee or snake they see. “All of these (are) wonderful things - to have folks understand this and have that sense of wonder and engagement for things that are all around us, but (that) we don’t know about.”

There are 4 elements required for a backyard habitat:

• food

• water

• shelter

• a place to raise young.

On the first Tuesday of each month (during the body of the school year), HAWK holds meetings on topics ranging from deer and coexistence in the community to native plants and wildlife. From moss workshops, owl and frog walks to worm composting classes and foraging. They’re often attended by up to 100 interested audience-members. In addition, the group hosts annual events such as Earth Day and Kids in Nature Day (KIND) with the Town of Matthews, and hosts a table at the Farmer’s Market twice a year.

Annually, HAWK follows through on their mission to help increase awareness and membership and help homeowners and businesses certify their properties.  Said Gestwicki, “The community wildlife certification would never have occurred without the full involvement of HAWK – they came up with the game plan, the objects, the goals and followed through to inform the constituents of Matthews, and implement a plan. This could not have happened without HAWKS’ past, present and future dedication to all local wildlife and its habitat.”

Jordon Vardon, showing one aspect of his backyard habitat. Photo by Cyma Shapiro

At the heart of this work is the commitment made by individuals. “The value of becoming a member of our group as well as the value of certifying their property doesn’t take an act of great magnitude,” said Jakobovits. “Certifying your yard – the idea is that you are making some level of commitment for a habitat – food, water and shelter, and a place to raise their young. It doesn’t need to be for larger creatures – bear or deer. But, if we can connect all these habitats, we now have a corridor for wildlife.

People who have a birdhouse or bird feeder are already two steps down that path. All they need is a birdbath or source of water and they can get their property certified.”  In effect, he said, “you are doing this with purpose – how can I do this better?”

It is a message not lost on Jordan Vardon, who recently certified his property on Willow Brook Road – 1/3 acres in the middle of a subdivision.  According to Vardon, the father of two young children, this is not only a way to learn about birds, which he is clearly passionate about, but also teach his two young children how to identify and enjoy them, as well.

“This is a way to bring more birds into the back yard,” he said, “while creating an oasis for (some) of the birds in decline. (We’re) giving birds the space to come back.” To date, he’s seen 30 different species in his yard - a few of which have chosen to nest in two carefully hidden bird houses  - “hidden by design to give them cover – the birds want to feel safe,” Vardon said. He likens his pursuit of bird-watching to a treasure hunt.

In his case, despite a small yard surrounded by nearby houses, his surroundings have created a joyful space for his family to enjoy - his poured concrete antique birdbath was purchased after a six-month hunt; his bird feeders are hoisted in the trees nearest the bedroom to allow the family to watch the various species more closely. This is a shared experience - “the kids love it,” he said.

In the end, it is that same experience which brings many Matthews individuals together. “We’re for all wildlife – small and big and everything that is part of that web,” said Jakobovits. “Part of the crossover involves people interested and passionate about bees. We’re a….cross pollination of people (whose interest) extends from bees to wildlife to humans,” he said. “We work very well together; we don’t compete with (other organizations) – we want people to enjoy and connect with nature at whatever level they want to.”

“ We’re a….cross pollination of people (whose interest) extends from bees to wildlife to humans.”

— Daniel Jakobovits

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

For more information or to join HAWK, visit their website Habitat and Wildlife Keepers.

Pollinators: A Photoessay

After all the hurricane rain our yard suddenly bloomed in large swaths of fiery oranges (tithonia, zinnias) and sunshiny yellows (perennial sunflowers, Mexican tarragon). A handful of pale purple native asters tower among the tangled vines of American passionflower, making a natural home for an array of native bees. Hoverflies, mason bees, carpenters, bumbles, and honeybees are all taking advantage of the pollen party, filling up before the weather gets too cold for most flowers.

John Caudle: Rancher of the Airwaves

Photo by Pressly Williams

For many townspeople, beekeeper John Caudle’s story is already well known. A landscaper. Third-generation farmer, running a tree nursery and tree farm. Nearly ten years ago, a diagnosis of Stage 4C tonsil cancer brought him to death’s doorstep. A last night of gasping breath, with no energy to get out of his chair brought on a vision of Jesus and then a blackout.

The next morning he was alive and breathing.

To hear him say it, he was, in effect, instantly reborn; his new life begun. He also proudly states that he has been in remission ever since.

Townspeople may also know that he originally sought out another career when he was too weak to continue his old one and fell into beekeeping; that his first harvest of honey produced dead bees and that he is now the proud owner of “Herb’s Honey,” a pure raw honey product which isn’t heated or mixed with corn syrup. His product is sold at farmer’s markets, Renfrow’s Hardware store in Matthews, honey markets and Earth Fare stores. (He also sells to a Raleigh bottler who mixes his honey with corn syrup to make “honey sauce.”)

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

“There are days when I’m there by myself…..I can be in the middle of 20 million bees and it’s like…all of sudden it’s as if they’re talking with me. I don’t understand bees, but there is a hum and a series of pitches of hums that they give to me.”

— John Caudle

Fun Bee Facts

• Honey bees fly at a speed of around 15 m.p.h. and beat their wings 200 times per second!

• Each bee has 170 odorant receptors, which means they have one serious sense of smell! They use this to communicate within the hive and to recognize different types of flowers when looking for food.

    (Source: National Geographic Kids online)

Today, at age 62, he feels deeply and fervently that his honey is a creation that helped save his life and can help heal others. He speaks lovingly of his “girls” – the tens of thousands of bees he owns in his over 1,000 honey boxes located in seven counties and those in his direct family – a wife, two daughters, one granddaughter and another on the way, all of whom now help or will hopefully help him in the future with the business.

“I like the bees,” Caudle said. “There are days when I’m there by myself…..I can be in the middle of 20 million bees and it’s like…all of sudden it’s as if they’re talking with me. I don’t understand bees, but there is a hum and a series of pitches of hums that they give to me.”  

“I feel as if God has made me as one with his children – the bees,” he said. “God has created them. It’s nothing I did. This is 100% a gift of God.”

To go along with these sentiments are an ongoing, nonstop rumination about some aspect of his business that he must tend to, learn about, work with or grow. “(You) wake up in the middle of the night and your mind is running a million miles/hour. That’s God talking with you,” he said. “In the morning, I’ve got this new plan or direction.”

Photo by Pressly Williams

His bees are called hybrid Russians. He sells 100,000 pounds of honey each year. In peak production time (April – August), his boxes (colony) yield 50-70,000 bees, each.   One hundred and ten of those boxes are located in Matthews.

Talking from his honey lot located in Renfrow Farms on West Charles Street in Matthews, he expresses pure joy at being able to do something he feels fundamentally passionate about and which he sees as a direct result of his relationship to God. “This is all a gift and a direction by God; this is not of my doing,” said Caudle, who by his own admission was missing a “personal relationship with God,” before his life-threatening illness changed his life.

While he said he often prays in his truck, upon entrance to his honey box areas, he also says a brief “thank you” to his Creator for giving him his bees. “God, thank you – look at them, they are all alive. Oh, thank you God,” he said.

A walk around his honey boxes becomes a thing of joy, with Caudle extolling the beauty of his bees (this time of year - yellow, black, orange, or gray in color), the beauty of his boxes (originally marked with simple logos which his bee-teachers said were a necessity to steer the bees to the correct boxes), the importance of his Queens (carefully picked by him and sometimes killed and replaced by him out of necessity for survival of that colony), excitedly sampling the variety of honey smells (lifting the box lids to sniff the differing aromas), often sampling his own wares (up to two to three pounds/day).

Caudle is a man content with using a pine needle smoker to spray over his body, rather than use full body or other cover-up gear. His mission is to be with and get as close as possible to his bees/colonies/boxes.

“We are ranchers of the airwaves,” said Caudle. “They fly up and away – up to two miles, collecting pollen for the preservation of their hives, bringing nectar back for the hives.”

In Matthews, his honey lot and participation in selling his wares at Renfrow’s was a serendipity of circumstances. Seven years ago, Renfrow’s owner David Blackley was seeking a way to better pollinate some of his crops which weren’t doing well (butternut squash and zucchini); Caudle’s brother wanted to encourage him to pursue beekeeping, which was in its infancy. They struck a deal: 10 initial boxes on about 1/3 acres located on the now nine-acre farm. That year, the crops were a significantly better yield, and so the partnership, John’s business and Renfrow’s crops flourished.

“It is very good honey,” said Blackley, “...some of the best in Mecklenburg Country. It’s a great addition to the farm sales. We’re pleased that the hives have done well.  John has done a great job of keeping them,” Blackley said. “We like the fact that it’s unpasteurized and has no commercial agriculture happening (around the location) for three miles.”

This is clearly a man in love – in love with all his “girls,” as he calls them; in love with life and in love with his life.  

So, what does the future hold? More time with his daughters, his grandchildren and a possible doubling of his hives.

“Everything is a timeline,” he said. “I love my creator. I love my family. I love my bees.”

“We are ranchers of the airwaves. They fly up and away – up to two miles, collecting pollen for the preservation of their hives, bringing nectar back for the hives.”

— John Caudle

Photo by Pressly Williams

Did you know? Over the past 15 years, colonies of bees have been disappearing; the reason remains unknown. Referred to as ‘colony collapse disorder,’ billions of honey bees across the world are leaving their hives, never to return. In some regions, up to 90% of bees have disappeared. (Source: National Geographic Kids online)