There have been a lot of cameras on the museum roof recently. Not to keep an eye on the pigeons. Or even for the great skyline view, though it doesn’t hurt. It’s our bees—some 200,000 at their peak—that have attracted the likes of Andrew Zimmern (his Appetite for Life segment airs October 1 on MSN.com). Yesterday, it was Belinda Jensen and Bobby Jensen’s turn—no relation, except they’ve worked side by side for nearly two decades on the Grow With KARE gardening show on KARE-11. They hit the roof to film a segment for next week’s show, airing Friday, September 20, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, September 21, at 9 a.m.
The buzz is real—enough to capture with a microphone.
The bees are no accident. The MIA partnered with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad to give them their museum penthouse, and they seem to like it: they’ve reproduced like the short-lived insects they are, and the honey tastes great—so good, the museum store is planning to sell some in a few weeks. (Can you get more locavore than that?) As you may have heard, bees are dying—sometimes mysteriously, sometimes not—enough to threaten the vast part of our diet that requires pollination. We wanted to publicize their plight, showcase a little of the creativity we’re known for, and maybe get some honey out of the deal.
Bobby and Belinda peer into the hive. For the record, there were no stings, no autographs.
That’s what Belinda and Bobby were curious about. Belinda dropped in about 9:30 yesterday morning and was taken to the roof with members of our own bee team, including Chris Atkins, otherwise employed as the coordinator of the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program, who spoke on camera about the bee program. “Do you have any experience around bees?” he asked her, then handed her a bee helmet and made introductions: bees, meet Belinda. “They’re a-mazing!” she exclaimed.
Jodie Gerdts of the U of M Bee Squad pried open one of the hives to show off the productive workers inside. “This is as fresh as it gets,” she said, inviting Belinda to sample the produce. We’ll let you know when you can get your own sample, in the relative comfort of the store.