About Tanya & Chuck

Tanya Phillips, Master Beekeeper and Author of Beginning Beekeeping is the owner of Bee Friendly Austin, and she is a sideliner beekeeper in Central Texas managing approximately 350 colonies. Utilizing her BA in Education, she teaches classes at her apiary in SW Austin and sells raw honey and hive products in several boutique shops in Austin and surrounding Hill Country locations.  Her interest in bees started out of simple curiosity and grew to sharing her passion, knowledge, and skills with others through education, community outreach, fundraising for research development, and generating increased public awareness for her beloved bees. Her husband Chuck shares that passion and together they founded a nonprofit that hosts an annual ‘Tour de Hives’ event to help fund bee research and education. Their apiary has been featured in several film documentaries, TV episodes, editorials, and websites discussing the importance of bees to the global food supply and she is frequently asked to speak as an expert in beekeeping on radio programs and at public events.  As the founder of the Travis County Beekeepers Association, she served as board President from 2013-2016 and is a graduate of the first Master-Level Beekeeping Course with the University of Montana. Future plans include travel into third world countries to teach beekeeping skills to the local residents and to continue in her quest to help save the world, one bee at a time!

Chuck Reburn, Master Beekeeper and Mead Maker Extraordinaire has experience managing hundreds of hives in dozens of locations for the Bee Friendly Austin operation, their Agricultural Exemption clients and urban customers.  What started as a hobby and an idea to build and sell a little extra equipment to recoup expenses quickly grew from a pastime into a full-time job where a good portion of most weeks are spent working in hives.  Involved in every aspect of the business (honey bottling and marketing, nucs and queen production, equipment manufacturing and sales, speaking and publishing), Chuck enjoys taking on several special projects each year most recently producing foundation-less comb honey and making several award-winning meads.

If you need to lease bees, beekeepers, bee & beeswax products, or equipment for TV, film, commercial, advertising, art, or print work, please contact Tanya Phillips to discuss needs and availability.

Recent Print

Beginning Beekeeping – Penguin Random House Books

American Bee Journal – July 2018

Austin Monthly – Trailblazers June 2018

Community Impact Newspaper – Vol. 10 Issue 12 – March 26, 2018

Texas Beekeepers Association – Issue 17-6 (Cover by Tanya Phillips)

Biker Bees Caught in Honey Trap – Austin Chronicle

Austin’s First Tour de Hives on National Honey Bee Day – Oakhill Gazette

Austin 360: Long Weekend – Tour de Hives – Austin American Statesman

Zilker Botanical Garden to hold weekend Bee Celebration – Austin American Statesman

2015 Community News – Tour de Hives – Austin American Statesman

Home Matters: More Fresh Food This Year – Austin American Statesman

2013 – First Tour de Hives – Austin American Statesman

Television/News/Film

Second Act Careers – Charles Schwaab – Chuck Reburn

Bee Supportive – Fresh Food Matters – Sub Zero, Wolf, and Cove

Beekeeping – Central Texas Gardener – KLRU Broadcast

HEB Superbowl Commercial – with Bee Friendly Austin Bees and Honey – 2018

Local Buzz – A Vimeo Short by Jerry Standefer

Austin City Council measure to protect bees – Kvue.com

Chuck in the News Talking About Bee Friendly Seeds from Cheerios!

Bee Venom – Secret Ingredient? – Keye TV News

Sweet Tips for Starting Beehives – KLRU Broadcast

Vinny & Ma Eat America – Episode filmed at Bee Friendly Austin

Honey Pairing 101 – Studio 512 KXAN

Bee Human – Dylan Tidmore Short Film on Vimeo

Radio/YouTube/Podcast

WWOOF-USA Bee Friendly Farm Tour
Adopt a Hive – NPR.org Pubic Radio Station
Adopt-a-Hive: Save-a-Beekeeper – Delmarva Public Radio
Hiving a Swarm – part 1
Hiving a Swarm – part 2

Featured Speaking Events/Vending

Armadillo Bazaar – Dec 13-24, 2018
South Texas Market Days – Dec 7-8, 2018
Joyeux Noel: A Christmas Affair – Nov 14-18, 2018
Texas Beekeepers Association Annual Convention – Nov 8-10th, 2018
Oklahoma State Fall Beekeepers Association Fall Conference – Oct 20, 2018
Hill Country Living + Rainwater Revival Festival – Oct 20, 2018
Brazos Valley Beekeepers Bee School – Sept 22, 2018
SW Austin Rise Up-2018 Rise For Climate – Sept 8, 2018
Texas Summer Clinic – June 30, 2018
Texas Summer Clinic – June 30, 2018

Awards

Tanya Phillips – Sideliner of the Year 2017 – Texas Beekeepers Association- TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – First Place & Best Mead Overall – Texas Mead Competition – Fruit Mead – Berry Berry- TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – First Place in Photography Close Up & Best in Non-Honey Overall – TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – Sweepstakes Winner Overall – TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – First Place in Extracted Honey Dark – TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – Second Place in Extracted Honey Amber – TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – Second Place in Wax Division – TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – Third Place in Photography Scenic- TBA 2017
Tanya Phillips – Third Place in Photography Portrait- TBA 2017
Chuck Reburn – First Place Mead – Category Spiced – TBA 2017

Logos/Photos