Meet John and Rhesa from Upstate New York

Meet John and Rhesa from Upstate New York! They’ve been married for nearly twenty years. Their story began in the Philippines, where they first met, and since then, they’ve built a life rooted in shared adventure and hard work. While they enjoy exploring nature together, recently joining us here at Howe Caverns after visiting Whiteface Mountain, the heart of their daily lives is right at home.

John is an avid beekeeper and gardener, passions that deeply connect him to the rhythm of the seasons. “I love how bees act and react to the seasons,” he said. He especially enjoys the swarming season, calling it an exciting time when colonies overpopulate and create new hives. “There’s so much to them.”

This year, John’s honey harvest yielded an impressive 566 pounds. Among his varieties are a light honey he calls Midsummer Wildflower, and his personal favorite, a rich, wine-colored blend of Goldenrod and Japanese Knotweed.

John’s fascination with bees runs deep—his father was a beekeeper, and now his siblings carry on the tradition as well: his sister is a full-time beekeeper in Alabama, and his brother also keeps bees. He’s intrigued by the different temperaments of hives, observing that some colonies are calm while others can be aggressive. “We’re having problems in the U.S. right now with them dying off due to different mites and pesticides,” he said. “We’re blessed to have a lot of bees this year.”

When he’s not tending his hives, John runs a plumbing and heating business he’s owned for nearly 40 years. His love for working with his hands is evident in his diverse garden, where he’s grown everything from peanuts and tobacco to a banana tree and even coffee. “I don’t smoke, but one year I made cigars.”

He’s also known for his tomato plants—growing up to 95–100 tomatoes per plant, with one towering specimen reaching 14.6 feet tall (see the photo below)

Rhesa, meanwhile, works as a supervisor at the Statler Hotel and restaurant at Cornell University. Together, they balance busy careers with a shared appreciation for the natural world.

Thank you so much for visiting!