What' s the buzz around pollination with Australian native bees?

<p>Depending on the time of day you&#39;re reading this, chances are you have a cup of tea, coffee or glass of wine in hand.  And so you are already relying on pollination, and that&#39;s what this episode&#39;s all about because without healthy pollinators, so many of the foods and beverages we love simply wouldn&#39;t exist.</p><p>In the latest episode of <em>The Big Shift for Small Farms Podcast</em>,  we explore how pollination underpins our food system and why its future matters to us all. We visit Bill Shields’ apple orchard in Bilpin to hear about a mysterious event that has left him with virtually no apples on his trees this season.</p><p>We&#39;ll sit down with Native Bee expert Dr. Tim Heard, who spent his career uncovering the hidden world of Australia&#39;s native bee pollinators.</p><p>And in the wake of the varroa mite, we also hear from someone who&#39;s been on the ground with farmers and beekeepers, learning from their experiences supporting their recovery, and helping chart a path forward for resilient pollination into the future.</p><p><br></p><p>Featured in this episodes:</p><p><br></p><p>Bill Shields - Apple farmer, Shields Orchard Bilpin (shieldsorchard.com)</p><p><br></p><p>Dr. Tim Heard - Australian native stingless bee expert (<a href="http://sugarbag.net" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">sugarbag.net</a>)</p><p><br></p><p>Emily Noordyke - Project officer, National Varroa Mite Management Program (varroa.org.au)</p><p><br></p><p><em>Produced by Grow Love Project and hosted by NSW Local Land Services. Supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program. Views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Greater Sydney Local Land Services or the Australian Government.</em></p>