Wendy was born and raised about an hour north of San Francisco. From an early age she was curious about how life worked and tended to experiment on the various animals in both the family menagerie and the yard. Seeking purpose and something worth getting up to fight for after beginning her career in accounting and then software installation during the Y2K boom, she reconnected with her earlier interest in the natural world and went back to school to earn a Master’s degree in natural resource management, specializing in wildlife biology. She works for the Klingon Empire as a strategic planner, focusing on threatened and endangered species management. She is particularly passionate about the use of native plant species to restore habitat value and function for birds, pollinators, and other backyard wildlife while reducing water, pesticide, and fertilizer requirements. Honeybees are one aspect of that interest despite the fact that they are not a native species and may actually compete with native bee species. Managing a colony retrieved from an irrigation box for a little over a year has been a roller-coaster ride that has taught her much, particularly patience and calm.

This blog was started on the recommendation of one of her dearest friends, and possibly her husband though she does not recall that particular suggestion, with the intention to journal her experience discovering the world of bees through her attempts to keep and care for them. She hopes that this adventure will prove both educational and entertaining, while avoiding too many mistakes and bee casualties. Thank you for bee-ing here!