Morgan Freeman Turned His Huge 124-Acre Ranch into a Sanctuary of Bees in Order to Save Them

The respected actor, director, narrator, and philanthropist Morgan Freeman has made a pledge to help the environment by using his land in Mississippi as a bee sanctuary.

It began as a hobby which was encouraged by his desire to preserve the declining population of bees due to chemical sprays and pesticides, making their environments toxic.

He shared,

“There is a concerted effort for bringing bees back onto the planet...We do not realize that they are the foundation, I think, of the growth of the planet, the vegetation…I have a lot of vegetation...I have a lot of flowering things, and I have a gardener too, all she does is figure out, ‘OK, what would they like to have?’, so we have got acres and acres of clover, and we have some planting stuff like lavender, I have got like maybe 140 magnolia trees, big blossoms.”

Because he brought in the bees from another state, Freeman has had to feed the bees with sugar and water until they get to know the land and find food themselves. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Freeman shared he discovered that a beekeeper suit was not a necessity when feeding the bees and that he hasn't been stung yet.

“I don’t have to put on a bee suit or anything to feed them. There is a beekeeper I know that is Jordanian, he never puts on a suit because you know you have to resonate with them…”

Fallon was alarmed and amused at Freeman’s notion, arguing,

“Then why do they have the outfits, Morgan?

To which Freeman replied,

“They’re for people who can’t resonate.”

And the audience burst out in laughter.

Freeman is taking a natural approach to beekeeping since he created a sanctuary and did not plan to farm or harvest the honey. His calm vibe is something even the bees pick up on. It is said that “when bees are treated calmly and respectfully” beekeepers may have no need for smoking the hive or wearing suits.

His peaceful demeanor and soothing narrative voice seem made for the show on National Geographic called “The Story of God” which explores “the ways God reveals himself to humanity”. In the latest season, he shares,

“I think what resonates with people is that God would appear among us, but not with some angelic halo, more as an ordinary person…”