In this episode, Michael Reiley engages in an insightful discussion with Michael Joshin Thiele, a honeybee conservationist and president of Apis Arborea. The conversation explores the intersections of cultural, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of natural honeybee life.
Michael Joshin Thiele is an apiculture consultant and founder and president of Apis Arborea, a nonprofit focused on honeybee conservation through deep ecology and ecosystem-based strategies. Originally from Germany, he studied philosophy and anthropology in Berlin before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area for Zen Buddhist training. With over a decade of experience, Michael has presented his innovative beekeeping practices at institutions like Harvard and NYU, and co-founded one of the first honeybee refuges in the U.S. His work has been featured in major media and films like Rewilding Honey Bees and Queen of the Sun.
Topics:
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 01:13 – Michael Thiele’s Journey with Bees
- 02:52 – The Spiritual Connection with Bees
- 03:35 – Zen Monastery Experience
- 04:52 – Bees and Dharma
- 08:37 – Language and Terminology
- 15:28 – Critique of Industrial Beekeeping
- 22:40 – Founding of Apis Arborea
- 27:45 – The Music of Bees
- 34:41 – Ethics and Apian Culture
- 48:11 – Apian Alchemy
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Transcript:
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