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North Aurora beekeeper's life is as busy as the bees he keeps at home

On his five acres of property in North Aurora, Harry Patterson keeps 12 hives of bees. In September, he gathers the golden honey to sell and give away.

Patterson has even had doctors send allergy patients to him to buy pollen-containing honey to help them build immunities.

But as sweet and healthful as that liquid gold might be, Patterson spends a lot more time talking about bees than selling honey.

The retired schoolteacher gives presentations on honey bees to schools, garden clubs, nursing homes and civic groups.

"I enjoy teaching. It comes easy," said Patterson, who spent 32 years teaching fifth grade in West Aurora Elementary District 129.

A self-described "walking teacher," Patterson comes with his beekeeping clothes and equipment and large, educational pictures showing the differences between the queen, drones and worker bees. He takes students out to his place to see bees for themselves and maintains observation hives at local nature centers.

Bees, however, aren't the only topic on which Patterson teaches. He has a "Mr. Wizard" science presentation he gives to adults and children, and a "Think Like a Scientist" class he teaches as part of Aurora University's Young Scholars enrichment program for middle school kids and younger.

Patterson, who celebrates his 71st birthday this month, also coaches tennis students at his home and is involved in his church's vacation Bible school program.

"God gave me energy to burn and I use it," he said.

In the bee-ginningPatterson's interest in bees goes back to his early childhood on his grandfather's place in Oklahoma. His grandfather, a beekeeper, would get suited up to work the bees and warn his grandson to stay out of the barnyard that day. Young Harry would run to the outhouse and peer through a crack. "I bent over and was watching," he recalled. "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be neat if I could be a beekeeper like my grandfather.'"Patterson's family moved to Aurora, where he graduated from high school, but he never lost his interest in bees. Years later, after he bought his five acres in North Aurora, he took up beekeeping. He's been at it 30 years."Here, I am doing it as a hobby," he said. "I would never be a commercial beekeeper. That's too much work."A member of the Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Association, Patterson has become known around the suburbs for his expertise. He's one of the association's swarm collectors, whom homeowners can call upon when a colony of bees divides and part of them swarm to start a hive in a new location. Patterson said he gets a least a phone call or two a week about bees, or flying insects that the caller may think are bees.Bees should be protected, and not just for the sweet honey they produce, he said."They are the best pollinators of plants," Patterson said. "If bees were to die off tomorrow, you would not be able to afford vegetables and fruits."That's why the mystery of colony collapse that's been reported in recent years is a serious concern, Patterson said. Scientists have not yet pinpointed the cause for the disappearance of bees, but the use of insecticides is one of the likely culprits, Patterson said. Bees that pick up pollen from plants treated with insecticides produce deformed young bees not strong enough to gather nectar and bring it back to the hive, he said.Gardeners can attract bees by planting flowers and native plants, Patterson said. The type of honey that bees produce depends on the plants where they gather their nectar. Patterson favors wildflowers and clover for the mild-flavored honey his bees make.A career in teachingAs a young teen living in Aurora, Patterson wanted to play baseball like any other kid."I was a big White Sox fan," he said.But when a case of mumps kept him out of team tryouts at age 13, a coach took him on as assistant coach and scorekeeper to work with younger players. Patterson thrived under the coach's mentoring."For five years in a row, I did that before I went to college," he said. "It turned me on to teaching."Patterson played baseball well enough to get on a White Sox AAA team right out of high school, but soon gave it up to pursue academics.He earned a degree in elementary education at Aurora University, and later a master's degree in outdoor education at Northern Illinois University. His ability to reach students earned him the title Kane County Teacher of the Year in the 1970s, when he also was named one of the five top teachers in the state.Fifth grade was his favorite age. Patterson recalled a student named Gerald who told him right in the beginning of the year that he didn't much like reading or writing. Then, one day, Patterson took his students outside to write words on the sidewalk. "If the sidewalk could talk, what would it say?" Patterson asked Gerald.Gerald started to write, "Hello, I'm Sammy Sidewalk" and kept on going. He graduated as valedictorian of his high school class."The hands-on stuff is what you teach that kids remember," Patterson said.Good teachers develop relationships with students based on trust and respect, he said."I believe in simple things, being fair, being firm and being consistent," he said.A tennis player in high school and college, Patterson also served as head coach for girls tennis at West Aurora High School for 22 years. He retired from full-time teaching in 1994, but coached tennis for two more years until his team won the state championship in 1996."That was one of my goals," he said.Outside the regular classroom, Patterson has been a teacher in Aurora University's Young Scholars program since it started 23 years ago. His daughter, Ann Butcher, a fifth-grade teacher like her father, now directs the program.Butcher said her father brings kids to his home for an outdoor education and clay class, in which they learn about bees, practice archery and make ceramics while learning where clay comes from. He also takes students to Lake Geneva for a week that includes nature walks, fishing and examining pond life under the microscope, she said.A Lego class that Patterson taught this summer is a way of introducing kids to how simple machines work, Butcher said. "They love Legos," she said.Butcher also invites her father in when she teaches a graduate course for teachers on methods of teaching math and science. Patterson captivates students no matter what their age, she said."I don't know too many people who can gain the attention of 100 people in front of them. He has them in the palm of his hand," she said. In addition to teaching and beekeeping, Patterson is an active member of his community. He serves on the North Aurora police commission and is a former member of the plan commission. His work as chairman of the village's Beautification Committee led to him being named North Auroran of the Year several years ago."I'm the type that has to have a lot of variety in my life," Patterson said. "I enjoy life. I enjoy teaching."To reach Patterson to schedule a presentation, or with a question about bees, call (630) 907-0441.True20001328Patterson and his grandson, Zachary Butcher, suit up to look at Patterson's beehives.John Starks | Staff PhotographerTrue