Requiem Bee for a

Photographer Danny Fulgencio, led by local apiculturists

Brandon and Susan Pollard, explores the honeybee world — at a neighborhood level — its dwindling population and how it all impacts our lives.

sweet greet At a recent protest, Brandon Pollard embraces a man in the crowd. The beekeeper and environmentalist is known around the neighborhood for his hugs. He gives big burly hugs, generously, often with his eyes closed.

hive check The Pollards inspect a frame of bees at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center just outside Dallas. The wetlands filter water from Dallas, which is then pumped back to the city. Honeybee colonies at the wetlands were not hit with neurotoxins during last year’s mosquito spraying, however, the apiculturists say, bees dodrink water — and lots of it, and when the water is toxic, they die.

biting issues Culex mosquitos, also called southern house mosquitoes, are known carriers of the West Nile Virus, which last year sickened hundreds and killed dozens in the Dallas area. Attempts to eradicate them with pesticide, some say, are threatening the lives of bees. The Pollards preach alternatives.

change imagined (Opposite) At an Earth Day celebration in Oak Cliff, Susan Pollard is reflected in a glass honeybee-display case, one of the teaching tools she uses when advocating on behalf of the bees. Attendees seem struck with a mix of awe and nervous curiosity. Pollard educates them on the crucial importance of bees and how their benefits outweigh their danger. Some observers believe her, and some don’t.