Bee Happy Lands

Bee Happy Lands

Bee Happy Lands, a project of Turtle Lake Refuge, provides regenerative land stewardship within Southwestern Colorado. Our focus is on creating stabilized, fertile and healthy soil.  We remediate disturbed land by manually harvesting the pioneer plants in moderation, seeding the area with native grasses and beneficial wild flowers, amending the soil with organic compost tea, mulch and compost top dressing and inoculating the soil with mycelium and beneficial microorganisms. We apply soil amendments including a locally made biodynamic ash remedy to balance the pioneer species and encourage next succession species to take hold and increase the diversity of the ecosystem. Ultimately we encourage land stability with our practices while increasing the overall health and fertility of the land.

   When the underground ecosystem is vital and thriving, the wild lands, grasses and flowering plants grow to their full beauty and potential. Locally made compost tea is a liquid fertilizer made from finished garden compost, worm castings, molassas, and seaweed and brewed for 12 - 48 hours. Compost tea is packed full of microbes that help the native and desired plants grow.  Compost tea not only provides food for the plants and grasses, but it also creates a healthy ecosystem and stabilizes the soil, promotes microbial life, aeration, and efficient distribution of minerals and vitamins for the plants and soil microorganisms living underground. 

 The benefits of organic land stewardship practices are infinite.  As a community we can make a difference in improving the quality of life within our native ecosystems by supporting organic land stewardship practices. We aim to lessen our toxic impacts in our global ecosystems by eliminating the use and need for herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Our goal is to support the native ecosystems by building healthy soil to grow forage for the honey bee population and local pollinators and promote the health of our children, grandchildren and multi-species community.

We offer:

• Manual weed harvesting 
• Seeding with native grass and wild flowers 
• Application of compost tea
• Inoculation of mycelium and beneficial soil microorganisms
• Spreading compost top dressing and mulch over disturbed areas
• Applying biodynamic ash remedy
• Converting lawns to edible gardens
• Organic Stewardship Management Education
• Food Forest Consultation

Purpose:

Bee Happy Lands’ mission is to support healthy ecosystems for the wild pollinators, the
collective watershed, native species and local human community. We are land stewards. Our goal is to
nourish the soil, create longterm stability and promote diversity. Our efforts focus on supporting the health and vitality of the natural environment while mitigating the stresses to the land. We encourage the wild plant populations
to establish a greater balance and ecological harmony. We recognize the value of the pioneer succession
species (wild weeds such as thistle, mullein and oxeye daisy) and work with their natural participation in
mitigating disturbed lands. We are students to nature’s wisdom. In collaboration with the hardy pioneer
species, Bee Happy Lands remediates the soil and prepares the ground for next succession species. The
wild weeds are a valuable part of our work force and minimal disturbance to the land brings about
ultimate success in long term health of the ecosystem.

Methods:

• Seeding the terrain with drought tolerant native seeds appropriate to elevation
• Applying finished compost and mulch to seeded areas
• Applying organic soil amendments to the land by hand or with backpack sprayers
• Soil Amendments include:                                                                                                                                                                     - Biochar
• Compost Tea 
• Fungal Soup
• Effective Microorganisms
• Biodynamic Ash Remedies
• Manual harvesting of specific pioneer plants in moderation
• Minimal disturbance in our land stewardship practices
• Honoring the pioneer species as a part of our land stewardship work force
• Educating about the value of the wild weeds

We highly value working with the forces of nature.  Successful remediation of the land happens best when we align with the efforts of the pioneer species (weeds), which are nature's front line work force in transforming disturbed land into more stabilized and fertile ecosystems.  The pioneer species regenerate topsoil fertility by composting their leaves every season. They aerate the compacted soil through their deep taproots. They maintain moisture in the soil and prevent topsoil drying up and blowing away. The pioneer species are a primary source of nectar and pollen for the honeybees and wild pollinators. They have an essential relationship to the microorganisms in the soil promoting healthy soil ecology. These wild weeds are a key factor in preparing the soil for greater diversity by helping the next succession species get established. The pioneer plants are drought hardy species that re-mineralize and regenerate the soil. In addition, they are invaluable foods and medicine to humans and a multitude of other species. In short, our work supports the pioneer species' natural efforts but in a quicker time frame.  We are on the same team in honor of all of life to create a more diverse habitat, increased fertility and stability of the soil.

Thank you so much for caring about our precious earth and all the living creatures who dwell here too!