Meet Our Hive
WHO IS COMING
In the spirit of connecting, here is where you can see who else will be attending Learning from the Bees. We invite you to browse the roster and get to know your fellow participants, as we comprise a diverse hive from all around the world, with vast interests, and differing apicultural practices.
If you will be joining us but have not yet uploaded a profile, you can do so via the Participants Portal. Check your welcome/confirmation email for the link.
Here are the six latest participant profiles. You can view the rest of them here.
Frome, Somerset, UK
Jonathan Powell
Ford City, Pennsylvania
Tonya Tennant-Ferguson
Los Angeles, CA
TANYA MATTHEWS
Grass Valley, California, USA
Cheyanna Bone
Eagle Rock Southern California
marvin jordana
Zionville, North Carolina
Georgie Donovan
OUR TEAM
Edward Lee August
Ines Katharina Kinchen
Neelima Baird
Steve Rogenstein
Cheyanna Bone
Alex Tuchman
LEARNING FROM THE BEES
The History of
Learning from the Bees possesses a rich and living history, rooted in deep respect for one of humanity’s most ancient allies: the honeybee. It is our shared care and concern for bees that continually bring us together across cultures and disciplines, inviting all to listen, to learn, and to explore the many ways bees inspire a deeper kinship with the Earth, each other, and other nonhumans alike. Through diverse approaches to tending bees and living in co-creation with them, the conference honors the wisdom these extraordinary beings carry and the profound debt we owe them.
Founded by the Natural Beekeeping Trust, Learning from the Bees began in 2018 at Doorn, Netherlands, where 300 participants from nearly 30 countries convened in response to a shared calling. Inspired by the bees themselves, the gathering sought to protect and revere honeybees, and also learn from their social intelligence by coming together in the spirit of a “World Hive.” This vision continued with the Berlin edition in 2019, focused on the centuries-old craft of Zeidlerei (tree-beekeeping) and other nontraditional beekeeping practices, thus furthering the exchange between ancestral knowledge and contemporary inquiry.
After the pause of the pandemic, our community reunited in 2023 for a smaller gathering in Oxfordshire, UK, affirming Learning from the Bees as an enduring force for change towards a true Culture of the Bee. From this event arose new questions and intentions that now shape the fourth edition in 2026, held outside of Europe for the first time. As Learning from the Bees crosses the Atlantic, we invite you to join the living impulse of our community in sincerely perceiving the nature of the honeybee being and together—with courage and connection—to co-create an uplifting and transformative experience. Congregating once more as a “World Hive,” we plant seeds for a coordinated bee-centric network across the United States and the Americas, guided by our highest ideals and shared purpose, as we meet the challenges of the future.
Our Host
SPIKENARD FARM
HONEYBEE SANCTUARY
Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary is dedicated to supporting the health and vitality of honeybees, native pollinators, and the ecosystems they depend on. Located on 41 acres along the Little River in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Floyd, Virginia, Spikenard promotes sustainable and biodynamic beekeeping through education, immersive experiences, and ecological stewardship. Rooted in a heart‑centered approach that asks, “Who are the bees? How can we serve them?,” our sanctuary cultivates and nurtures a landscape rich with forage to support bees and wildlife, while inviting people into deeper connection with the land.
Since its founding in 2006, Spikenard has become a place of learning, reflection, and engagement. Through workshops, apprenticeships, educational programs, public open days, and community events, the sanctuary shares practices that honor reciprocity between humans and bees, and offers people of all backgrounds the opportunity to deepen their understanding of honeybees and their place in the web of life.
After attending the 2023 Learning from the Bees conference in the UK, Spikenard’s Executive Director, Alex Tuchman, was inspired by the spirit of that gathering and its vision for a “World Hive.” He joined with fellow collaborators to bring the conference across the Atlantic. We are honored to co-organize and host its fourth iteration in 2026, welcoming participants to both Floyd EcoVillage and our sanctuary grounds for a powerful convergence of honeybee wisdom and human inquiry.
