First responders are fiercely battling five raging wildfires in Los Angeles County, wildfires fueled by dry conditions and the hurricane-force Santa Ana winds. The most extensive: the Palisades Fire. The toll, as of tonight (Jan. 9): 10 people dead, more than 10,000 structures destroyed, and nearly 20,000 acres burned.  Statistics are mounting. The wildfires are not contained.

Everyone wants to help in any way they can, or however they can.

A unique responder heading to the area this weekend is Patrick Hardy of Sacramento, executive director of his newly formed national Bee Platoon, dedicated to assisting beekeepers in disasters. He is a Master Beekeeper in the UC Davis-based California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP), founded and directed by bee scientist Elina Lastro Niño, associate professor of Cooperative Extension and a member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.

"There are 107 Beekeepers in the Palisades and surrounding areas that have been evacuated," said CAMBP co-program manager Wendy Mather. "CAMBP has a couple of partner organizations there, and Patrick Hardy, a recent Mastercapstone member will be down there trying to coordinate assistance for beekeepers in the line of the fires."

Mather said the "CAMBP members in Southern California are helping each other, and Patrick, a disaster specialist, is launching a Bee Platoon and coordinating with fellow CAMBP members to keep apiaries safe from the fires where possible. It's a literal ‘trial by fire' unfortunately."

"Bee Platoon is a non-profit that coordinates science-based beekeepers to come together in emergency scenarios to relocate apiaries to safety," Mather said, adding "Many of our members have been impacted by the current chaos."

Hardy presented his master-level capstone project to CAMBP in October, 2024. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrAcHpqaA4g. 

Hardy, responding to an urgent request to help the beekeepers who are victims of the Los Angeles wildfires, will be driving to the Palisades on Saturday, Jan. 11 and plans to stay a week or more. He will bring equipment and supplies and "provide other assistance to beekeepers and first responders." 

Bee Platoon, launched in 2024, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The three key parts: Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Disaster Preparedness.

Disaster Preparedness
"Bee Platoon goes out to present to schools, government agencies, first responders, and beekeepers to speak about how to ensure our pollinators are disaster ready. Our dynamic presenters go over the very basics of emergency response so that our best practices are shared among as many people as possible. We are also active on social media and on video content sites such as YouTube so to provide accurate information on all disaster preparedness for bees and beekeepers."

Disaster Response
"When disaster strikes, we're there! When Bee Platoon activates to a disaster area, we help beekeepers evacuate or shelter their bees. But we also respond with emergency management agencies and first responders when they encounter swarms in the field or are dealing with another honeybee emergency. We act in a standby capacity and actively participate in other response activities including providing updated information to beekeepers as the situation evolves."

Disaster Recovery
"Once the situation is stabilized, Bee Platoon rescue team members help apiaries rebuild their hives, and provide information about available resources to help them recover. We also work with disaster recovery teams to ensure there is full cleanup."

Hardy has set up an account at https://gofund.me/182480d8 "to not only assist in the evacuation of hives, but also to provide a critical resource for first responders during the wildfire. This is historic: this is the first time a honey bee disaster response team is going to assist during a federally declared disaster."

"Every dollar goes to helping victims and supporting the team," he said. "I take no salary from this position." 

"We are a brand-new team, and this effort will allow me to make two trips: the first during the response, and the second during the disaster recovery. During the recovery, I am going to rent a van and provide fresh beekeeping tools and hive boxes to replace those that have been destroyed. I will also be doing swarm response through the VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters) deployment for first responders."

Hardy, a 20-year disaster aid professional, is the author of the book, Design Any Disaster: The Revolutionary Blueprint to Master Your Next Crisis or Emergency. Bee Culture magazine featured him Nov. 5, 2024 in a podcast episode, Honey Bee Disaster Response Team.  He is an international award-winning speaker who "loves getting on stage to bring real-life stories of disaster and lessons learned to audiences looking to skillfully convert disruption into opportunities for growth."

Hardy can be reached at patrick@beeplatoon.com or by text (to save bandwidth) at (225) 361-3402. More information, including sign-ups for the Bee Platoon's newsletter, is available on the website.