The Current

Lessons from the bee hive teach us how to better communicate and be present

They may seem like menacing insects to you, but Mark Winston says governments and corporations could learn a lot from the way bees communicate, collaborate and look after each other. He joins Anna Maria today to share his lessons from the hive.
"Bee Time" author Mark Winston and Sarah Common with Hives for Humanity. Mark Winston says we need to pay attention to the plight of bees because he believes bees have a lot to teach us about how we interact and how to be present in the world. (Liz Hoath/CBC)
"Bees are the canary in the mine - they are a consequence of how we've chosen to manage the world."- Mark Winston on what bees can teach humans
"Busy as a bee is completely inaccurate," says Mark Winston who has learned to slow down from being around bees. (Liz Hoath/CBC)
 Meet Mark Winston.

You'll find him working the smoker to keep the bees nice and calm as he visits an apiary, located right in downtown Vancouver.

It is a happy calming place for Mark Winston becasuse he has spent a lot of time with bees in his life.

For four decades, Mark Winston has been studying bees as a biology professor at Simon Fraser University.  And while he's now a Senior Fellow at Simon Fraser's Centre for Dialogue, he still spends time with the bees whenever he can.

Mark Winston believes there's much to be learned from these fascinating insects. He's written a book, called "Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive," to help share their wisdom. The book has just won the Governor General's Literary Award for non-fiction.

Mark Winston joined Anna Maria from our Vancouver studio. 

(CBC Books)

Share your stories about your own connection to bees.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Liz Hoath.