Positive note on following your passion. Introduction, beekeeping, bees and biodiversity.

Hi there Steemers! Glad to be on this platform!

My name is Benoit, 34 years old, from Ghent Belgium. Born in Ghent but I grew up in the country side and went back to the city when I turned 18 years old. I understand and speak English but typing it or constructing a good syntax may not be perfect. But hey, thanks for the opportunity.
My buddies Omar and Romaan actually introduced me to Steemit, Big up to all u Steemers!!

I wanted to share a little positive note on reaching somewhere in life with a certain state of mind while actually just doing what U love to do and following your passion.
In my case with honeybees, beekeeping and trying to understand the environment.

One of the reasons that this note will concern honeybees is because lately those bees reach the news too often on how they are dying, and that's a truth, we should be aware of that but that's not my story, not today.

I will introduce myself quickly for U guys. I enjoyed a technical education, working in a factory on the age of 18 until I was 24. Took 2 six-month-breaks in that working period and went to the Caribbean and realized that there was more in the world than just working for money to buy goods and foods. I realized we were living a totally unsustainable way of living that I no longer could support.
I started to try to live more consciously up to today.

One day I got introduced to honeybees . . .

My first view on a bee colony was when I saw a beekeeper in a local program at home. I was very amazed to see all those little bees working together, flying out to collect nectar and pollen while pollinating blossoms on trees, flowers and crops and many more. 

However, this was in the winter season. That made it possible for me to read books on honeybees, beekeeping
and learning about biodiversity, educating myself through the internet and books. 

When spring came I enjoyed the opportunity to visit a lot of elder beekeepers based in the country side. 

That was when I really felt something like I wanted and would be part of this, I felt a connection. Was it the relaxed vibe around this colony that made me feel very nice or was it the zooming noise of the wings that made me feel a certain way and made me smile? What intreged me so much? It definitely was a good feeling and knowing I could keep bees and take care of them, enjoy them being next to me.
All this while meaning something for natures biodiversity? Yes I can!!

That being said I really started, made a wooden beehive , got me some frames and got honeybees and started my journey. Oh, did I mention that I am living in the city in those little houses packed up next to one another. . .

Having neighbours made the challenge only a little bit bigger...

After 3 years I had some honeybee colonies on my kitchen roof and in the back of the little garden. These years went by and off course I learned a lot trough practical experience and by attending a beekeeping training at the Ghent University.

Growing and understanding the need to learn about the biodiversity of a certain area, I started to spread my knowledge. Everywhere I went people would basically ask me to tell them about the bees. So I was telling them 

• that we have approximately 50.000 bees in the summer in a beehive colony and approximately 10.000 bees in winter. 
• that bees live around 6 weeks and have different tasks in there stages of life and that they actually only live 6 weeks. 
• that they have 3 weeks indoor work and 3 weeks outdoor work to do. 
• that for a 500gr jar of honey, bees need to fly the equivalent distance around Mother Earth. 
• that we need more that 1 bee on a blossom for pollination to have a nice fruit. 
• that we have thousands of other bees solitaire bees or
  wild bees like “Bombus Hortorum “and “Bombus Lapidarius” , bumblebees.
  And I went on an on.

The people saw that I kept on talking and I saw them looking at me like 'this guy ain't gonna stop talk'.
That’s where I realized that indeed I was very intrigued by what I was doing and that I really love keeping bees with all my heart. 

I found my passion in life!

I'm posting this while I will continue to write down my positive story. Hopefully inspiring people to believe in themselves, sticking with and living with some standards and values. Supporting people, helping each other in what and where we want to achieve.

Times are changing in a positive way! Believe it.

• Please feel free to check some nice video's and pictures concerning beekeeping here.

FIND THE SEQUEL HERE, POSITIVE NOTE ON FOLLOW PASSION PART 2

Manners and respect to all.