Thompson has had the chance to speak with a number of celebrities about beekeeping—including her personal hero Jane Goodall; Angelina Jolie, who is part of UNESCO and Guerlain’s “Women for Bees” program; Jason Derulo, whose house she’s removed a bee colony from; and Camila Alves McConaughey, who she helped with her own bees. “Camila was deeply concerned about the bees’ wellness and only wanted to harvest honey in a sustainable way,” Thompson says. “It was clear she had a profound respect for the bees and the vital work they do.” Thompson recommends that beginner beekeepers—nicknamed “newbees” affectionately—have assistance from an experienced beekeeper for the first year or two as they gain confidence with their hives.
Many new beekeepers have been compelled by the Save the Bees movement, which picked up steam toward the 2010s as fear over the declining bee population spread. Morgan Freeman is one celebrity who’s been vocal about this decline and shared that he has bees of his own now, too. “There is a concerted effort for bringing bees back onto the planet,” Freeman told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in 2019. “We do not realize that they are the foundation, I think, of the growth of the planet, the vegetation.”
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With this movement in the fore, getting into beekeeping isn’t only attractive as a fulfilling hobby, but also as a way to signal that you’re mindful about the environment. Unfortunately, much of this attention has focused squarely on honey-producing bees to the detriment of the thousands of other species, per the Times. Because of this, some conservationists and beekeepers are now concerned that there are too many honeybees buzzing around and overwhelming resources in some areas.
After all, the desire for “homemade” honey is another major reason to get into beekeeping. Just as the rise of beekeeping aligned with the industrial revolution, honey now aligns with our time’s obsession with organic, hyperlocal foods. “I think that for many beginner beekeepers the idea of having their own supply of fresh, local honey is often the biggest motivator,” Thompson explains. “Once people start keeping bees, they often realize that it’s about so much more than just honey. It’s about connecting with nature every time you go into a hive, and caring for creatures that do so much for our planet. ”