Experience

 

Beekeeper

2004 - present

 

I fell in love with the Honeybee as a child and began to develop a relationship with them in the idyllic landscape of Port Townsend Washington.  I currently manage 20 hives and mentor dozens more.

I study them with the Melissae of the College of the Melissae, in a collaborative exploration of Sacred Beekeeping; The Six-fold Path: Science, Sacred, History, Mystery, Art/Medicine and Activism

 

 

Director and Founder 

College of the Melissae; Center for Sacred Beekeeping

2012 - present

 

Through collective envisioning and inspiration from ancient beekeeping practices world-wide our faculty and students are creating an authentic and relevant spiritual beekeeping practice. Creating a Six-Fold Path of Sacred Beekeeping in the hopes of creating a new, holistic approach to beekeeping practices in order to restore balance within apiculture and bring the Sacred back into Apiculture.

Studies are delivered via Online learning platforms, videos, radio and documents. Faculty and student body represent an international Hive of Sacred Beekeepers, inspiring and learning the language of the Honeybee.

 

Volunteer

2000-present

 

Volunteerism is at the heart of the work I do and I always have a volunteer project going on.

 

Environmental Project Highlights

• Children's Education; Summer camp style beekeeping immersion for youngsters from 4 and 5 years old and up.  Also held a bee club with field training for 6 students from Mar Vista, the alternative public High School in Port Townsend, WA.

• USAid/Farmer to Farmer & Partner's of the Americas Grant, Jamaica. Administered trainings throughout Jamaica on value-added products and marketing. Also received in depth training on beekeeping and it's economy in a developing nation.
  This month gave me an in-depth look at the American Apiculture system as I compared our industries.
  I studied with Les Crowder for this month which also provided me with intensive natural beekeeping methodology, stories and philosophy and mentorship.

• Peru; Taught beekeeping and provided mentorship to small organic beekeeping organization and school in the Sacred Valley. 

• Pollinator Project Rogue Valley; Working with teams to provide regenerative habitat for pollinator species.  Currently providing educational forums for the community on health of the bio-region, and speaking and teaching on the Honey Bee.

• Radio Host: Honey Culture Radio is "an hour devoted to honeybees and the sweet things in life" . Interviews with people who are working to transform the world and heal our relationship with the earth. Poetry, activism and celebration of Honey Culture. Kick back and enjoy. 
  Live-Streaming & Archived. KSKQ.org Show airs: Thursdays 1-2 PST 89.5 FM

• Bee City USA: Ashland & Talent; Laura contributed organizational strategies and spoke passionately to City Councils and community groups to advocate for Bee City designations in Ashland and Talent Oregon.

• Speaking Presentations:

  • Arizona Oganic Beekeeping Conference 2014 & 2015 and 2017

  • Synchronicity: Psyche & Matter Symposium, Joshua Tree, CA 2014

  • Bee Luminaries, Battleground WA 2015

  • Glastonbury, England 2015

  • BEe Healing Gathering: Asheville NC 2016 (Presentor and Advisory Board Member)

  • Sacred Bee Immersion, Findhorn, Scotland 2016 and 2017

  • Dozens of local Panels, media, GMO-Free Rallies, Seed Circus, Pollinator Panels, Ceremonies and Celebrations

  • Goddess Alive National Radio

  • Radio One Network, National Radio

  • Immense Possibilities, Television

  • Sacred Path of the Bee series with Debra Roberts, 2014

  • Honey Culture Radio KSKQ 89.5fm (live-streaming/archived) Thurs 1pm PST

 

Social Service Project Highlights

• Guardian Ad Litem: for 2.5 years i served as a Court Appointed Advocate for children in the foster care system.  I received high quality training and experience about traumas and needs of children undergoing such an experience.  i wrote court documents and testified.

• Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort: Served as an on-the-ground volunteer shortly after the hurricane for 3 weeks. My jobs varied from rescuing special momentos in sodden destroyed homes, to counseling, burying dead animals and solo-painting a day care overnight for an anonymous surprise.

  This experience was one of the richest in my life and inspired me to dedicate my life to solution based social design for disaster relief and other need-based activism.
  I raised over $2000 and $2500 in supplies in a week to deliver to the volunteer team and community members living and working in Bay St. Louis, MS

• High ropes and Low Ropes Challenge Course Facilitator and Trainer; For seven years I worked and trained as a low-level and high-level Ropes Course Facilitator. During this time I received training on conflict-resolution, group-empowerment, trust-building and de-briefing exercises for leadership growth.
  Another fun part of this job was creating games, learning games and climbing 40feet into trees to set lines.  Gibb's Lake Challenge Course in Chimacum, WA. and Peninsula College Challenge Course in Port Angeles, WA.