Hobbies are great ways to pass the time, and can be beneficial to more than just the person who engages in them.

While that’s not always the case, there are a number of hobbies that do provide something to the rest of the population.

Beekeeping is one such hobby that can provide a number of benefits. The two most common would be producing honey and providing pollinators for food bearing plants.

In my younger years, I was unaware just how much bees do for humans.

Not that I’m allergic, but typically when I came across any insect known to sting, keeping distance from it was my first course of action, swatting at it in an attempt to kill it was the second.

Naturally, all that did was incense the poor thing, and ensure it had reason to plant its stinger in my skin.

To this day, I don’t approach bee or wasp nests foolishly.

And while a wasp nest will receive no mercy, after learning about honeybees I have a new admiration for the work they do and the benefits they provide.

So, now that I know their role in the production of our food, I make an effort leave the honeybees that cross my path to carry on with their work.

If I had more time and was less concerned with being stung, I would consider caring for honeybee hives.

However, while I don’t have the time now, I am interested in learning more about beekeeping just in case I become independently wealthy for some reason.

Thursday, a beekeeping workshop will be held at the Crosby Arboretum. I’ve attended a number of workshops at the Arboretum, and found them all to be fun and informative.

Even if you aren’t planning on starting a hive in the near future but are even a little interested in how bees live and work to keep our crops fruitful, consider attending this week’s event.

It should “bee” a good time.