Boston Flora

Tag: Bees

  • Tuesday, June 17, 7:30 am – 9:00 am – To Bee or Not to Bee: What is Killing Our Bees?

    June’s Sustainable Concord Coffee focuses on the importance of bees and why they have been dying off across the country. Bees are vital contributors, through pollination, to agriculture. Pinpointing the cause is crucial to mitigating this problem since bees are prime pollinators of roughly one-third of all crops worldwide. Research suggests that certain commonly used pesticides may be responsible. A new Harvard University School of Public Health study released on May 9, strengthens the link between neonicotinoids and collapse of honey bee colonies. Our presenters are well qualified to speak to the issue of bee death.

    Dr. Richard Callahan is a beekeeper and retired entomologist, he holds a doctorate in pesticide toxicology. Working with Dr. Chensung Lu, an Associate Professor of Environmental Biology at Harvard University and Ken Worchol, a state bee inspector in Worcester County, he was involved in conducting the three year study of the impact on multiple bee colonies of a pesticide called Imidacloprid, manufactured by the Monsanto and Bayer Corporations.

    Mark Hanson is a Concord beekeeper, who kept bees since 1970, first in Stow and then, for twenty-five years, in Concord. He found the decimation of his bee hives due to Colony Collapse Disorder so worrisome that he stopped keeping them in 2012. He reports that other beekeepers throughout Middlesex County are having similar problems. What actions can we take?

    The ConcordCAN! Sustainable Concord Coffee is Tuesday, June 17, from 7:30- 9AM at Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main Street in West Concord. Light refreshments are provided. Free and open to the public. There is a large shared parking lot with a childrens’ center and church. For more information go to: www.concordcan.org. Image from www.advocacy.brittanica.com.

  • Saturday, May 17, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Native Pollinator Conservation

    The University of Massachusetts Extension wraps up its spring fruit courses with a session on Native Pollinator Conservation, led by Sonia Schloemann (pictured below) on Saturday, May 17 from 10 – 1 at Powisset Farm, 37 Powisset Street in Dover. Pollination is an important step in growing all fruits and many vegetables. While most people know about honey bees, native bees are also important pollinators. Encouraging native bees and other beneficials by providing nesting and forage habitat is easy and fun for the home gardener. Learn about how to build bee blocks and which flowering plants make good forage habitat. Participants will build nest boxes to bring home to their gardens. $50.  Register on line at https://classic.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1460640.

    http://www.justfoodnow.org/SoniaBio_files/image002.png

  • Bumble Bee Watch – Calling Citizen Scientists

    As the season warms up, take time not just to smell the roses, but to photograph the bees on the roses. Bumble Bee Watch is looking for citizen scientists across the U.S. to record sightings of bumble bees, those heavy lifters of pollination, and their nests. Set up an account now, and you’ll be ready to submit photos from your digital camera or cell phone as soon as you spot your first bee. Go to www.bumblebeewatch.org/ for lots more information.  Photo from www.publicdomainpictures.net.

    http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/20000/nahled/bumblebee-on-rose-1106612998540397b2.jpg

  • Saturday, April 26 OR Saturday, May 3, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Setting Up a Beehive

    Join beekeeper Jan Johnson for step-by-step instruction and demonstration on setting up a beehive, beginning indoors with a close-up look at how bees arrive for installation. This Berkshire Botanical Garden workshop will be conducted off-site, and registrants will be informed of the venue in advance. Safety equipment, how to stay protected, structural components, assembly and siting of the hive will be discussed. Jan will then demonstrate how to introduce bees into a new hive. Participants will be able to observe from a safe distance.

    This program is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 26 or May 3 at 2 pm. These dates are subject to weather conditions and bee delivery. Once you sign up for the workshop, we will keep you posted about the actual day the workshop will occur. It will take place on a weekend. A list of suggested safety equipment is listed below although these items are not mandatory. Protective gear should include a hat and face veil, long-sleeved shirt and pants (or bee suit) and protective boots. Gloves are helpful. Following the demonstration, Jan will be on hand to answer questions.

    $25 for BBG members, $35 for nonmembers.  Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926, x 15.

    http://www.berkshirebotanical.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Beehive2.jpg

  • Saturday, November 16, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Bring Nature into the Garden

    Join landscape designer Bridghe McCracken on Saturday, November 16 from 9 – 1 at Berkshire Botanical Garden for a detailed program on how to create a biodiverse garden habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, bats and dragonflies—good for both the garden and the gardener. This program will give participants practical knowledge for how to plan and provide for wildlife based on ecological principles. Learn about the plants and plans needed to design a garden full of life for the property. BBG members $40 nonmembers $50.  Register at 413-298-3926 or online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    Bridghe McCracken has been designing biologically vibrant landscapes for over ten years. Her design and building company, Helia Land Design, specializes in ecological landscape design, land stewardship, ecosystem restoration and designing food systems. She is a certified Organic Landcare Professional from the Northeast Organic Farmers Association. In 2006 she began a partnership with Project Native as their Chief Landscape Designer, which allows her to stay abreast of the latest available native plants. She teaches permaculture as an adjunct professor at Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

    http://helialanddesign.com/wp-content/files_mf/1272481144bridghe_who.jpg

  • Tuesday, September 10, 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Bee Day at Harvard

    On Tuesday, September 10, participate in a day of events and activities highlighting the importance of honey bees and beekeeping to biodiversity, the food supply, and human health. Learn more about the alarming decline of beehives (colony collapse disorder) widely documented in the U.S. and Europe.

    Event Schedule
    1:00–2:00 pm: The Plaza (in front of the Science Center)
    Enjoy organic honey tasting at the Harvard Farmers’ Market.

    4:00 pm
    Take a tour of the beehives on Harvard’s campus, led by Harvard Undergraduate Beekeepers. Preregistration required; please visit the HMSC website for more information: www.hmsc.harvard.edu.

    7:00 pm: Science Center, Hall C
    Film screening of More Than Honey, followed by a discussion with Dr. Alex Lu, Associate Professor of Environmental Exposure Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, about current research on the link between colony collapse disorder and the use of agricultural pesticides.

    Jointly sponsored by the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Harvard Undergraduate Beekeepers, the Harvard Farmers’ Market, the Food Literacy Project, and the Cambridge Entomological Club.

    All activities and events are free and open to the public. The Plaza and the Science Center, 1 Oxford Street. Free event parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. For more information, visit www.hmnh.harvard.edu.

    http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/morethanhoney/images/poster-xlarge.jpg

  • Wednesday, July 31, 7:00 pm – All About Honey

    Did you know that honey reflects terroir as much as wine? From the bees that concocted it, the season it’s produced in, and the flowers it’s sourced from, honey tastes of its origins. In this Stir Boston class, to be held Wednesday, July 31 at 7 pm,  you’ll explore the terroir, production methods, and styles of honey alongside its many uses on the dinner table. That’s right, honey is not just for dessert and cheese but can be used throughout the meal in vinaigrettes and brines, purées, and gels. Enjoy some honey for a change; it’s the bees’ knees!  $165.  Class (with terrific food and drink) will take place at 102 Waltham Street in Boston, and you may register by calling 617-423-7847, or emailing info@stirboston.com.  These evenings sell out quickly. Image from www.buttermilkpress.com.

    http://www.buttermilkpress.com/blog//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/honey-spoons.png

  • Wednesday, April 10, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Urban Beekeeping

    Noah Wilson-Rich, Ph.D., founder of Best Bees Company in South Boston, will discuss raising bees in the rural, suburban, and urban habitats of eastern Massachusetts. Wilson-Rich does research to improve honey bee health and also sets up hives in schools for educational purposes. This lecture is the centerpiece of the Somerville Garden Club April meeting, to be held Wednesday, April 10 from 7 – 9 at the Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland Street in Somerville. All SGC meetings are free and the public is invited to attend. Meetings include club announcements, a horticultural question and answer segment, and a raffle of donated plants and garden-related items. Parking is available, and the building is a short walk from the Davis Square Redline T station. Meetings are on the second floor, wheelchair accessible. For more information visit www.somervillegardenclub.org.

    http://s3.amazonaws.com/photos.prod.jewishboston.com/photos/105322/beekeeper_noah_large.jpg

  • Tuesday, February 12, 6:00 pm – Looking for Signs of Evolution: Bees, Butterflies, and Bacteria

    Naomi Pierce, Hessel Professor of Biology and Curator of Lepidoptera at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, will speak Tuesday, February 12, beginning at 6 pm at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge on the topic Looking for Signs of Evolution: Bees, Butterflies, and Bacteria. Naomi Pierce examines the behavioral ecology of species interactions, such as insect/host plant associations, and the life history, evolution, and systematics of butterflies and other insects. Part of the Evolution Matters Lecture Series, supported by a generous gift from Drs. Herman and Joan Suit. Free and open to the public.  Free event parking in the 52 Oxford Street garage.

  • Tuesday, September 20, 6:30 pm – Honey Harvest Dinner

    The InterContinental Hotel’s fifth floor roof deck apiary houses 100,000 plus bees, pollinating a four to five mile radius of the hotel, which radius includes the Rose Kennedy Greenway.  In honor of September being National Honey Month, Miel at the InterContinental will be hosting a Honey Harvest Dinner.  The evening includes a cocktail reception, a tutorial on bees, urban bee keeping, and an overview on honey.  Dinner is $75 per person and includes the cocktail reception and wine pairings.  Reservations can be made by calling Miel directly at 617-217-5151.