Niwot honors bees and their advocate - Tom Theobald

On Saturday, Aug. 28, the Niwot community celebrated bees for their contribution to our world--without them, flowers would have fewer pollinators and we certainly wouldn't have honey without them. In recognition of bees, the Niwot Business Association and event champions Deborah Read Fowler and Victoria Keen hosted the Honey Bee Harvest Festival. The celebration included a panel of speakers throughout the day, live music, family activities and more, all throughout Niwot.

Niwot resident Jerry Lumpe said, "I think it's amazing how many things they've put together. Both informative and educational and just fun."

Speakers included Dawn Server of Meadow Lake Honey, who gave an introductory talk about honey bees and how their hives operate, Derin Davidson, a CSU Horticultural Agent, who discussed pollinators and their roles in landscaping, and more. A full list of speakers can be accessed at the Niwot Events page.

Server's mother and former Niwot resident Irene Reeb said, "I really think it's a very important thing to have, again it's a time for the community to get together and then to see some of the resources that are in the

Additionally, Niwot Wheelworks hosted both a mead tasting event and bee trivia; Pinnochio's had a bee bingo event; Left Hand Corner boasted enclosed observation hives; and for the kids, there were spelling bees, crafts and storytelling.

"I think [the children are enjoying it]," said Scott Mitzner, a festival attendee. "It's very nice, very calming...good atmosphere."

"Yeah," agreed fellow attendee Jenni Ojala. "I like how it's an outdoor event with enough space. It feels really good at this point in the world."

At most of the outdoor stands, there were few attendees with masks. However, the Left Hand Grange, which hosted the speakers, did ask that listeners wear masks and had extras available at the door.

The most notable speaker was long-time Niwot resident Tom Theobald, who has been a beekeeper for more than 40 years and is both nationally and internationally recognized for his advocacy.

"I've always been a trouble maker," Theobald said as he opened his discussion about propagating mason bees. "The things I did were done because I saw things that needed to be addressed and couldn't keep my mouth shut."

While he didn't go into detail about the "things," those who introduced him did--Brad Langdon started the lecture by briefly reviewing Theobald's long career.

"Tom has impacted our life directly," he said, after describing Theobald's involvement in everything from the volunteer fire department in the 1970s to establishing the trails around Niwot. "Tom owned and operated the Niwot Honey Farm on Neva Road for over 40 years, producing as much as several tons of quality honey each year. He helped create the Boulder County Beekeepers Association in 1975, served as the organization's president for 30 years, and he was the Boulder County Bee Inspector for nearly 20 years."

Miles McGaughey, a Niwot High School alum, fellow beekeeper and longtime friend of Theobald, started by saying how he first met Theobald. "We were a little bit rebellious in the 70s," McGaughey recalled with a chuckle. He then recounted how, after cruising down Neva Road. Theobald called him over and scolded him before going to Niwot High School to talk to the principal about McGaughey's fellow students.

Years later, McGaughey explained, he and Theobald reconnected over bees and found a new sense of camaraderie. "Tom is underappreciated in so many ways," said McGaughey. "So many people don't realize his national standing." He went on to describe how Theobald filed a lawsuit against the EPA to fight pesticide companies and how "in Europe and other far away places, Tom Theobald is a rockstar," because of his bee research and advocacy.

After briefly thanking Langdon and McGaughey for their introduction, Theobald also thanked everyone who had helped him in his mission to educate about and advocate for the bees. He then shifted gears to give a presentation that largely focused on mason bees.

After describing how they are some of the first pollinators in spring, he focused on how people can help propagate them. "It's an excellent way to introduce children to the world of pollinators," Theobald said, as small straws (used to help the bees lay eggs) were passed around the crowd.

Theobald went on to explain that he has been involved, over the years, in bee education in schools and through his column in the Fence Post from years ago. "My original intent was to take people through a year of beekeeping so they would understand what's involved... but that very quickly branched out to all kinds of subjects."

People interested in Theobald's column don't have to dig through archives to read them. He announced that, along with the help of a friend, he's releasing a podcast based on these writings.

"I had the idea a couple months ago [to record them]... What we decided to do is, we created a website where I'm going to read each of the columns," he said. "It's very interesting for me to go back and read some of these things that I wrote 30 years ago... they were all interesting to me at the time, I'm hoping they'll be interesting to the listeners."

To access Theobald's weekly podcast, go to https://notesfromthebeeyard.buzz/, new episodes are released weekly on Fridays.

(To see more photos from Niwot's inaugural Honey Bee Harvest Fest, visit our photo gallery here.