Angela Roell (they/them/theirs) is a queer writer, independent scholar and beekeeper who works professionally at the nexus of food systems and health equity. Angela resides in Western Massachusetts, and runs a small apiary and apicultural business. Angela teaches in sustainable food systems at the University of Massachusetts and the Franklin County House of Corrections, their course load includes explorations in food recovery, beekeeping practices rooted in reciprocal relationship with honeybees, and cooking and food preservation traditions learned from their Ukrainian Grandmother. Angela’s relationship with food originated in their Grandmother, Constance Marie’s kitchen. Connie used food as a bridge between her Ukrainian traditions and Italian, French and contemporary “American” cooking she learned in the United States. She spent hours in her kitchen crafting recipes that married her own traditions with those of the French and Italian chefs she admired. While they cooked together, Connie shared folklore, stories and mysticism from their shared Ukrainian heritage.
Angela is currently writing a book about honeybees, which will include tools for new beekeepers, perspectives on beekeeping from the field, and an organizing tool cultivated from a long learning relationship with honeybees called “Decolonize the Hive”. “Decolonize the Hive” reimagines change-making work through the lens of the honeybee hive, a social super-organism. At a time in our history full of uncertainty, building interdependence and community resilience is crucial; we can examine the honeybee hive to guide our practice.
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Decolonizing the Hive
In this workshop we will reimagine our change making work through the lens of social insects, with a focus on the honeybee hive. At a time in our history full of uncertainty, building interdependence and community resilience is crucial; we can examine the honeybee hive to guide our practice. We'll look at ways the honeybees engage in systems thinking and community management via social decision making. We'll use mapping tools inspired by the hive to assess how we think/act within our communities and how we can share resources to be more engaged social decision makers, organizers and community members. Participants should bring a curious mind, active sense of belonging and fresh ideas to this workshop. Participants will leave this workshop with an action item for community engagement, a self assessment tool for transformative change making and an accountability buddy for their new project or idea.