Beekeeper Spotlight: Rick & The Kettle & Stony Point First Nations Bee Group

Welcome to Beekeeper Spotlight—a space where we celebrate the passionate individuals driving positive change through beekeeping. In each edition, we highlight someone making a meaningful impact—whether through innovation, education, or deep-rooted community work.

In this edition, we're honoured to feature Canadian beekeeper Rick Boerkamp and the inspiring work of The Kettle & Stony Point First Nations Bee Group, blending beekeeping, healing, and land-based education.

Rick, How Did You Get Into Beekeeping and what drew you to bees?

In 2006 my family moved to a small hobby farm. A neighbour offered a beehive he had on his farm but had never used. Our real estate agent was also a beekeeper and helped me get started. 

I find honey bees fascinating and am always amazed at how the colony functions. 

Can you describe a moment when you felt especially connected to your bees or the natural world around you?

I love to go to the hives and watch the bees come and go. Their peaceful rhythm can be very calming. This is partly why I have integrated beekeeping into my practice as a therapist. 

Tell us more about starting The Kettle & Stony Point First Nations Bee Group as part of the Mental Health & Wellness Hub’s land-based programming?

As a therapist working at the Mental Health & Wellness HUB I am always looking for ways to help individuals develop the skills of mindfulness and to consciously calm themselves down. Working with bees challenges us to slow down and be mindful of what we are doing and to connect with the bees in a calm and peaceful way.  The bees will give immediate feedback if we are rushing and not paying attention.

There is also something about the rhythm of the bees that is also calming.  For many of the people involved in this beekeeping project, it is also an opportunity to learn about the importance of the bees to our food supply and the environment.

I have worked with people of all ages, and everyone is always amazed at what bees can do and the important role that bees have in the sustainability of our food supply and environment.

How have community members responded to working with bees? Have you seen shifts in well-being or awareness since the project began?

We have had the project running for two years.  The first year many people in the group were focused on the honey.  But as we worked with the hives and struggled through losses when a hive died, the community members have become more and more invested.  Last summer if anyone saw a swarm there was a network of people who would follow the swarm and reach out to the group so that we could recover the swarm.

This year, we will also be working with a group of students as part of a land-based education program.  The students will have the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of beekeeping, from preparing the hives, to working with the bees.  With the options to document flowers through HiveTracks, we will also be able to help the students trace the link between nature and the resulting honey that the bees produce.  It is my hope that this will reinforce the importance of sustainability.  This kind of project also has a powerful way of sparking the fascination with nature that i strongly believe is the beginning of inspiring people to be committed to respecting nature and becoming champions for sustainability.

What role do bees and beekeeping play in connecting people back to land, tradition, or community values?

For many people, we have lost the sense of our connection to nature.  With so many of the items we use daily, like food, being purchased through a store, we forget where they all come from.  Within the indigenous culture, there has always been a strong understanding that we are intimately connected and part of nature.  With the bee group, we get to experience that connection where we are involved in the process of partnering with the bees who bring nourishment from the flower to the honey we enjoy.

"Along that journey of working with the bees, we learn that we are not the ones in control, but the bees are, and they teach us how to support them and work with the bees to build a more sustainable world."

What’s something you wish more people understood about bees or beekeeping?

"If there is one takeaway that I hope people get from understanding bees, it is that having a sustainable world in which to live is all of our responsibility."

When you look at the vital role that the honey bee plays in its short life, we need to ask ourselves how we can be part of nurturing a more sustainable and vibrant world.

What’s one of the biggest lessons beekeeping has taught you — either about nature or about yourself?

Beekeeping has heightened my respect and awe for nature and the amazing things that nature has to teach us if we are willing to listen and be open to learn.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in beekeeping, especially if they’re coming to it as part of a healing or community journey?

Be patient. Beekeeping is a journey. We will make lots of mistakes along the way, but we need to never give up and be willing to start again. Healing and community are also journeys. There are good times and difficult times. But the most important thing is not to give up and continue learning. Sometimes, that means being willing to start over.

What’s next for you and the Bee Group? Are there any hopes or dreams for where the project might go in the future?

This past winter, we lost several hives.  But we will start again and continue to build the colonies.  I hope to see the group continue to grow and to include more students this spring and summer.  As we grow and the project grows, I hope that the enthusiasm for beekeeping and sustainability will also grow.

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A heartfelt thank you to Rick and The Kettle & Stony Point First Nations Bee Group for sharing your story with us. Your work is a powerful reminder of how beekeeping can reconnect us to the land, to each other, and to a deeper sense of purpose.

We can’t wait to see how your journey continues to grow.

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