Throughout 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, The Guardian will publish the stories of people whose lives have been disrupted by the collapse of the climate—sometimes destroyed.
Antonis Vacos, Greece
Season as we know it Greece Disappeared. This is very confusing to bees. One moment you encountered an extreme weather, the next moment suddenly changed without warning.
In late February, when we entered spring, it snowed. In summer, you will have three days of downpour, which is equivalent to two months of rainfall. Then there were 10 days of incredible heat, just like we did in August before the fire. We have never seen anything similar.
The bees did not respond at all. Insects are very sensitive to climate change. After the fire, their behavior changed and they were very aggressive.
I am the third generation of bees in my family, even though I am the only member to do so professionally. Before I started school, my father first took me to the beehive. I couldn’t even tie my shoelaces at that time.
You are not a beekeeper for money. You must love nature and be a little crazy. This is a complete philosophy.
About 40% of pine honey in Greece is produced in the northern part of Evia. It is unique in terms of taste and antioxidants.Many end up in the supermarket Europe.
To say that the fire is a disaster is an understatement. They are the largest on record and it took two weeks to go out. We are still numb. Every tree, every bush, every flower was burned down, and the entire ecosystem was wiped out. Collecting pollen and nectar is the way bees survive. So far, we have managed to achieve this by feeding them with ecological alternatives.
The forest is our treasure. It makes you smile. We are more than anywhere else on the island, and then suddenly it’s all ashes and charcoal. Thank God, I saw it alive, thank God, I have memories, and the image is still alive.
I have 130 hives. Now I have 35. The rest were destroyed. There are 30 to 40,000 bees in each hive, so my loss is huge.
Pine trees need at least 30 years to regenerate. Pine trees are vital because they are a source of sap, which can nourish bees and help them waterproof their hive. I am 48 years old, so I don’t think I will see them again. But I am optimistic by nature. Two months ago, there was nothing but black, and the scenery was completely naked. Now I see the first batch of green shoots. I started to laugh again.
