Morgan Freeman, is an Academy Award winner, philanthropist and a well-known movie icon thanks to classics like – The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, Driving Miss Daisy, The Dark Knight Trilogy and more. He is best recognized for his deep voice and has even played the voice of God in the 2003 comedy hit Bruce Almighty. Now, he is most coveted for narrating roles especially for documentaries like March of the Penguins. This multi-awarded actor truly gave all of us something to remember. But does it stop there? (Source: People)
Morgan Freeman’s Bee Ranch is located in Mississippi. He started this project by purchasing 26 bee hives from Arkansas back in 2014 – and today his ranch is one of the few bee farms that focus on providing the best environment for the bees and not for profit gains.
With all the achievements and awards, you’re probably wondering what can’t he do? As of now, he’s doing it all. Freeman first talked about beekeeping back in 2014 in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show. He talked about how important bees are and why we need to preserve a good environment for them. In addition, he stresses out how bees are actually the foundation of our planet’s growth. The concept is now well-known to us, but who would’ve thought that back in 2014? (Source: Youtube)
Why Do We Need to Save the Bees?
Let’s circle back to the facts. Why are bees going extinct? In an article published by National Geographic in 2020, they explain how researchers found out about the massive drop in population in North America alone. Further research led them to discovering that some species have completely been extinct from places they used to flourish in. An example of this is the Rusty Patched Bumblebee that used to be common in Ontario. Now, you can not find this species in any place in Canada and they are highly endangered in the US. Soon after, the population decline was also evident in different parts of the globe. (Source: National Geographic)
A paper published in the journal Science shows how climate change plays a big role on the decline of the bees population. In this study, areas that have increased in average temperature during the past few decades or have experienced an extreme shift in temperature have a lesser bee population. With the life span of bees being limited to a year, their reproduction rates are vital for their survival. The abuse our planet is taking from our actions that resulted in global warming is a chain reaction of events we must address now before it’s too late. So yes, Freeman’s statement on how we need to preserve an ideal environment for the bees is the key to saving them from complete extinction. (Source: Science Magazine)
Why are bees so important anyway? Freeman talks about them being the foundation of our ecosystem, and this true. The loss of these pollinators will have severe consequences to food production in general. Plants and trees need these pollinators to produce food, and without them, we’re looking at the collapse of our agricultural industries. Who would’ve thought that such a tiny insect could make such a huge difference in our world.
More About Freeman’s Bee Farm
Freeman has purchased over 26 beehives from Arkansas and moved them up to his ranch in Mississippi back in 2014. The goal is to convert the entire 124-acre ranch into a full-time bee sanctuary. He goes as far as planning out what trees, plants and flowers should be in and around the property to encourage population growth and optimal living conditions. He also says that he does not intend to harvest the honey or disturb hives. (Source: Forbes)
Summary
This is not just a hobby for the 83-year-old actor, this is a passion project he has worked on for years. Freeman himself goes to the hives and hand-feeds the bees with sugar water without a beekeeper suit. He claims to have not been stung yet, and would not be needing any protective suit any time soon.