schackerAbout Us
Michael Schacker, author of “A Spring Without Bees, How Colony Collapse Disorder Has Endangered Our Food Supply”, is an investigative science writer. He is the founder of the Global Regeneration Network or GlobalRegen.net, a learning center and blog for Global Regeneration. He has also founded GlobalCurriculum.com an online progressive high school core curriculum for alternative education, enrichment programs, global studies classes, independent study programs, as well as home-schooled students and Charter schools. He has served as a strategic consultant and contract writer in the field of regenerative agriculture, and believes that here is a solution on this Earth for each of our many problems if we look for them.
His book, “A Spring Without Bees”, is the most important information you could read about the mystery of colony collapse disorder because it is first book to investigate the story fully and present it in a way that is easy to understand and accessible for everyone. “A Spring Without Bees”, cuts through the misinformation and clutter of possible causes and gets down to the bottom of what is killing the bees and how to save them.
The mission of PlanBeeCentral.com is to become a hub for action to stop colony collapse disorder and other related bee deaths. For more information and free resources please visit PlanBeeCentral.com often to contribute experiences and news, stay up-to-date and join in the enormous effort it will take to prevent serious global consequences from this crisis.
I feel it is time to let people know that Michael suffered a major aorta dissection and massive left hemisphere stroke on April 2, just before the book came out. He is recovering slowly, but he has severe apraxia–a very difficult form of aphasia. He can read and he understands everything however, so your posts and comments are important! Since he can’t promote his book or talk about it, we need your help with Plan Bee more than ever! A small group of community volunteers have been helping with this, but we need more volunteers and a network of activists nation-wide. Without Michael to blog, go on talk shows or on a book tour, I am afraid we are now getting lost in the clutter of outdated media reports, misinformation, foot-dragging and cover ups on this issue. Donations to Plan Bee are especially important now and would help me cover expenses to promote his book and the organized effort to stop CCD. If you would like to be part of the BEE Team and help us get his message out to the world, please email us at mdschacker@earthlink.net.
Thank you.
~Barbara Dean Schacker, Michael’s wife, more information at StrokeFamily.org
Plan Bee Central 
al meyerhoff said
I wrote an op ed on this topic in yesterdays’ LA Times. Feel free to post.
Barbara Schacker said
An excellent article, Al! Here is the link to it for those who like to read it!
LA Times article by Al Meyerhoff. Wish it mentioned the book. Is there a way we can work together?
Richard Robinson said
Its wonderful to find this information. I filmed David Hackenberg last Fall for an alternative documentary soon to come out (The Beekeepers) and followed his claim that these pesticides were killing his bees. Its been frustrating to see most of the American Press almost ignores the pesticide issue (above article excepted) while its openly discussed and banned in many European countries. I also cant understand why the US government was once studying bees to use as environmental monitors (Bromenshank at Aberdeen Proving Ground) yet now ignores their warning signals. As Hackenberg quoted Nader, “we’ve got the best government money can buy.”
Richard Robinson
schacker said
I will look for the documentary, Richard. We’ve been working with David for quite some time. I need help with getting the truth out to the press and with helping to promote the book. You are doing great work! –Barbara, Michael’s wife.
ilana nilsen said
I was fortunate enough to attend the brilliant lecture at Cary IES last Friday, September 26. I wrote a weekly column and want to fact check something I heard David say. Could one of you please contact me? I’m reading a Spring Without Bees now and think it is one of the most important books of the past fifty years, if not longer. Thank you
David J. Colon said
I found something that is killing the bees where I live. I noticed a gardener/janitor worker spraying acid on the sidewalk to get rid of stains and junk. As he sprayed it he left it there to soak and then came back with a hose to rinse it off of the sidewalk. As he let the acid soak on the stains many bees came ate the acid which killed them in a matter of seconds. By the time the worker came back to rinse off the stains there were about 50 bees laying around dead and dying on the sidewalk. They were strongly attracted to this chemical which killed them.
This concerned me so much that I went back to read the contents of this bottle. I wanted to do something because I know that bees are so important to our food supply. Here is what I read on the bottle: “Tile Brite One Step Acid Cleaner” I don’t know what to do with this information but I thought I would start here in case anyone could use it to help the bees.
Robert Tormey said
This is awful. you know, it seems that there ought to be a notice required whenever someone is using chemicals of any kind. what if some kids had gotten into this stuff? or what if the stuff had run down the drain and into the sewers? is this stuff legal to go into the street?
In california at least, there is a Water Resources Board and for commercial and industrial properties the owner has to file a ‘rainwater run off plan’ to ensure chemicals from the property don’t enter the sewer system and find their way to the ocean. kind of ‘save the bay’ kind of thing. but perhaps something similar should apply to homeowners as well.
Miss Peters said
Well wishes to Michael..from an old friend
Aggeliki said
I was thinking about the bees today as I was having my coffee in the back yard of the house of where I live. I noticed a bee down on the concrete few mins later. I went to observe it. It was upside down and could not turn. I used a leaf to turn it around. It looked very dizzy like a drunk person. I took it in my hand and the leaf several times and put it in flowers nearby. Our back yard does not have any pesticides and quite a few flowers. The bee could hardly stand up or crawl up in a plant. It fell several times and it seemed not interested in any of the flowers. It was trying to get out of the little circular garden we have at the back yard. I moved at least 3 times and it was so disoriented, could not fly and was doing circles on the ground. Every time I placed it near plants it was going back on the concrete. Viewing this little helpless creature in this state broke my heart. I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate what homo sapiens has done on this planet. After finishing your book and reading the revenge of Gaia I could not agree more. What can I do to help. Do you have any leaflets to raise awareness I could place in local stores for people to read. People are so slow to adapting but fast in destroying. I am so sorry for our little friends.
😦
Aggeliki said
My previous post may have been somewhat irrelevant to the theme of this section but I wanted to add my wishes for a quick recovery. You are now needed more than ever. Dear Michael you are an invaluable force behind this much needed effort to reverse the catastrophy and you are an inspiration to everyone who cares a little about the bees. God bless you and your family and bring you back everything you had before and more. Get well soon
Fouche' said
Okay, I’m down for the Honey Bee. What can I do to help? I live in an apartment but would love to have a hive. Where do I go?
Oliver said
Hello,
I had been following the news of the disappearance of the Bees for several years, but, did not
understand the cause and effect of the chemicals until reading your book this weekend. Upon opening
my regular news emails at work today, I found an article that led to this EPA ruling from last week against
IMD and 73 other toxins that now must be tested. Although you are probably well aware of this decision,
in case you had not seen it, there is a commentary period that you might want to help with. It also will
be an excellent test case to see if the bees in this small part of California will rebound with the removal
of these chemicals.
Warm Regards and thanks for writing such an eye opening book.
Oliver
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0481
helen faraday young said
Best wishes to Michael. This is a great site.
Can I help in any way? I’m local (Hudson)-
I contacted you months ago about Bee Native hoping you could come to launch party-which then got postponed. We are doing OK but donations are low. just been to the First Organic Beekeeper’s Conference in Leominster. Michael was referred to constantly.It was fascinating and felt very luck to be there.
Cathy Chadwick said
Dear Michael,
I recently read your book fighting my own anger and sadness over the messages that Rachel Carson sent us years back that we have yet to really take in and act on. I contacted your publicist offering to write a review of the book. He turned me down but sent me the cover art for the paperback which I have posted on my website along with the information about this website. I am not a beekeeper but I have bees on my property and sell honey and candles so I get questions all the time about what is happening to the bees. I’m so glad to have someplace to send people where they can receive concrete suggestions and information. I’ve been posting the photo of your paperback cover and the website when I have a table at local crafts shows. My business is a small one and the Website a cheap homegrown outreach, but I’ve received more comments than ever in response to this information. Many people around the area know that there’s a problem, but most of them have read conflicting information about the cause and they just don’t know there’s anything they can do about it.
I’d like to be of more help. My farm is in Ipswich, MA on the North Shore 45 minutes NE of Boston. There are people in the area who have lost hives to CCD but thankfully not my beekeeper. We have a lot of open space here and a high level of awareness about environmental issues so I think that’s why there have not been many issues here, yet. Please let me know what I can do. Thank you so much for your informative, clear and very readable book about a difficult subject. I hope your health is improving. We need you voice right now.
Barbara Patrizzi said
I wrote a letter to the editor in Monday’s Philadelphia Inquirer. Mentioned the book.
schacker said
Thank you so much! –Barbara Dean Schacker
Kevin Hansen said
Dear Michael and Barbara – your book was very inspirational for us in making our new film, “Nicotine Bees”. We’d like to send you a copy. Could you send me you mailing address to:
hankaiwen@gmail.com
Thanks for everything; we’re going to link to your website and book, from our site – the link should be ready in a few days.
Great work,
Kevin Hansen
Director, Nicotine Bees