Morgan Freeman is a well-known American actor.

But he has a long list of accomplishments to his name.

Aside from being a respected actor, he is also a film director, narrator, philanthropist, and most lately, he is a beekeeper.

The Shawshank Redemption actor has turned his 124-acre Mississippi ranch into a bee sanctuary to combat the declining population of these insects.

In 2014, Freeman began beekeeping for the first time.

When Morgan appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he discussed this endeavor.

He had only been beekeeping for a few weeks before appearing on the show. He said “two weeks ago,” to be exact.

During his interview, Freeman talked about his firsthand experience with bees, as well as the importance of these insects in the preservation of a healthy environment.

He explained why he began beekeeping, saying:

“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…”

He started with 26 beehives that were shipped from Arkansas to his Mississippi ranch.

He has been feeding with sugar and water to the bees and has admitted that he has never worn a bee suit and hat, revealing that they have not stung him yet.

One of the viewers of the show commented why is this so…

“The only reason Morgan Freeman doesn’t have to wear a beekeeper suit is because he calms the bees with his voice.”

Morgan also has no intention of harvesting their honey or disturbing their beehives for financial gain.

Morgan shared that:

“They haven’t [stung me] yet, because right now I’m not trying to harvest honey or anything, I’m just feeding them… I think they understand, ‘Hey, don’t bother this guy, he’s got sugar water here’.”

To attract the bees to visit his home, he has planted bee-friendly plants in the ranch, such as lavenders, clovers, and magnolia trees.

Freeman’s project into beekeeping couldn’t have come at a better time.

Over the last five years, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified Colony Collapse Disorder as a major cause of bee population decline.

If this trend continues, a slew of ecological and agricultural issues will arise, as bees are important plant pollinators.

The truth is domestic and wild honeybees account for roughly 80% of global pollination, according to Greenpeace statistics.

As per the organization, humans are accountable for the two main causes of declining bee populations.

These are pesticides and habitat loss.

Bees are dying due to a variety of factors, including pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, a lack of nutrition, air pollution, global warming, and others.

Greenpeace advocated critical steps that would significantly help protect bees:

• Prohibit the use of the seven most dangerous pesticides.
• Preserve wild habitat to protect pollinator health.
• Restore ecological agriculture.

Thank you, Morgan Freeman, for helping to save the honey bees!

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May this inspire more people to follow in his footsteps and contribute to the conservation of our planet.

As one of his co-actor said in their movie, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” And this beekeeping must keep him somewhat “buzzy.”

Watch Morgan Freeman’s interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below, where he discusses his beekeeping venture.

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Sources: My Positive Outlooks, YouTube/The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Wikipedia