Complex social structure of a hive.
Audra Spears
In a second-grade classroom, the air is usually filled with a buzz of restless energy, but when Kim Ly Patten stands at the front of the room, the atmosphere shifts to one of wide-eyed wonder. Patten isn’t just a guest speaker – she’s a storyteller, a journeyman in the Alabama Master Beekeepers Association and balancing living her childhood dream with a high-seas reality.
Decades ago, Patten sat in an elementary classroom just like theirs, captivated by a visiting beekeeper. That spark ignited a lifelong fascination with bees. Today, as the face behind the social media handle “The Cruising Beekeeper,” she is turning that lifelong curiosity into a mission of education, conservation and adventure.
Patten teaches children about the importance of pollinators.
Sam Vise
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Kim Ly Patten.
Audra Spears
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Patten brings her travel knowledge back home.
Audra Spears
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Peach trees are early bloomers for bees.
Audra Spears
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Students suit up for beekeeping.
Sam Vise
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