Morgan Freeman turns his 124-acre ranch into a bee sanctuary

The actor Morgan Freeman has lent his famous name – and his own land – to the effort to save the bees. He’s converted his 124-acre Mississippi ranch into a bee refuge.

Pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds are under threat because of pesticide use and habitat loss. According to CNN, between April 2015 and 2016 beekeepers in the United States lost 44 percent of their colonies.

Since bees are responsible for approximately one third of everything we eat, the situation is dire – for the world’s food supply and economy.

Read more:
How one Iowa city planted 1,000 acres of wildflowers to bring back the bees

Here’s what Freeman said about his bee sanctuary:

“There’s a concerted effort to bring bees back onto the planet. We do not realize that they are the foundation, I think, of the growth of the planet, the vegetation. I have so many flowering things, and I have a gardener too …“We’ve got acres and acres of clover, we’re planting stuff like lavender, I’ve got like, maybe 140 magnolia trees, big blossoms.”

Watch him talk with Jimmy Fallon about his beekeeping:

Inspired to help the bees? Simply plant the things they like: herbs, wildflowers, flowering bushes and fruit trees. Even if you don’t have much space for a garden, you can plant herbs such as chives, lavender, sage, thyme and mint in a pot.

Read more:
Help save honeybees — from your own backyard!