This holiday season just got sweeter: Our 2019 Beginning Beekeeping Series registration is open for aspiring beekeepers and curious conservationists!
This eight session series is designed for individuals serious about starting a beekeeping hobby, but is also valuable for those interested in local food, conservation, or environmental stewardship. The series takes participants through the annual cycle of beekeeping, including:
- Equipment and materials needed for beekeeping
- Establishing a hive
- Bee behavior, installing a package of bees, and roles of different bees in the hive
- How to conduct a hive inspection
- Common diseases and how to troubleshoot
- Early-spring, mid-summer, and fall management techniques
- Understanding bee characteristics and proper hive health
- Honey harvest and marketing the honey produced
- Preparing hives for overwintering
- Planning for a second season of beekeeping
“Caring for honey bees and making friends with other beekeepers make for the most meaningful and enjoyable learning experiences!”
– Beekeeping Instructor Tom Hart
The series is broken up into two types of classes: Lectures and field days.
All aspiring beekeepers will attend lectures as a large group, held in the Amazing Space Auditorium. Even better, small groups will be formed (Class A and Class B) to offer more one-on-one time with instructors during hands-on field days in our Educational Apiary. All field days have an indoor equivalent, in case of rain or inclement weather.
“What a great introductory course to get into beekeeping! They will teach you everything you need to know with great hands on experience as well. The instructors are great with lots of experience and resources to guide you into beekeeping. Let’s ‘bee’ real. the bees need our help and this is just a wonderful way to give back to nature!”
– Beginning Beekeeping Participants Doug & Tyera Hess
The time to register is now! This series is filling up quickly. Registration remains open until February 1st or until the class is full. Space is limited to 50 participants.
The fee includes lectures and field days, informational handouts, and use of the Nature Center’s Sugar House for extraction in the fall. But probably most valuable is the priceless value of community that is established among participants. The Beginning Beekeeping Series creates and connects fellow Champions of Nature.
