In Gotham city, the Bruce Wayne assumes his alter ego Batman to fight crime. Beeman is not a millionaire playboy, nor does he have a fancy ride like the Batmobile. Like Batman, he improves our society not with superpowers, but with human ingenuity and determination. While the name Axel “Beeman” Krause, may not inspire fear in the hearts of criminals, I am confident it will soon be known by anyone concerned about our ecosystem.
Mr. Krause has the less than glamorous task of teaching Biology at my highschool, New Westminster Secondary School. The beekeeping program he introduced began as a teaching aide, but has since grown into a movement.
Mr. Krause has the makings of a social entrepreneur. The fully functional beehives produce honey and beeswax, which are sold for profits. However, the merchandise is merely a means to promote a social mission. With the recent collapse of many bee colonies around the world, he recognized the opportunity to create a social enterprise. Honey bees are under threat from various mites and diseases as the use of pesticides and herbicides weaken their immunity. Beeman may not fight crime, but he is improving our world one colony at a time.