Boston Flora

Tag: Heather Mattila

  • Saturday, February 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – The Natural History of Bees for Beekeepers and Naturalists Alike

    A focus on bees as pollinators, as well as on honey bees, explores the basic biology of these essential creatures. Come to Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge on Saturday, February 25 from 10 – noon to hear an absorbing presentation on the subject. $10 for BBG members, $15 for nonmembers.

    Dr. Heather Mattila of Wellesley College shares information that allows beekeeper and naturalists to better understand the bees they see on flowers, how they live, and what they need in terms of habitat and food sources. To register, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Sunday, June 21, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Collections Up Close: Lindens in the Landscape

    The Tilia (linden) collection is the largest genus of summer-flowering trees in the Arnold Arboretum—nearly 150 trees are in the collection, most along Meadow Road. In late June and early July they are at the height of their bloom, providing an exceptional opportunity for study, comparison, and enjoyment. Linden flowers attract pollinating bees and appreciative visitors with their wonderful, enticing fragrance. Join The Arnold Arboretum on Meadow Road for a horticultural tour of the Tilia collection with Kyle Port, Manager of Plant Records at the Arboretum, and a tour focusing on honey bees with Heather Mattila, Assistant Professor at Wellesley College, whose research focuses on the mechanisms of honey bee behavior, the chemical ecology of colonies, and the microbiology of queens and workers. There will also be fun family activities focusing on the lindens. The event takes place from 1 – 3 on Sunday, June 21. Collections Up Close events offer great ways to explore plants at the Arboretum. Free – no registration required.  Image from www.herbs-hands-healing.co.uk.

  • Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – The Secret Lives of Honey Bees

    Most people are familiar with the sight of a honey bee forager as she visits flowers in a garden or park, but few people know the rich story of the life of a colony within the darkness of a hive.  Heather Mattila studies the social organization of honey bees at Wellesley College, where her hives lend a lively presence to the arboretum.  Heather will unravel the secret life of honey bees, including the different kinds of bees that are found in hives and the jobs that they do, as well as the means by which honey bees communicate to ensure a healthy and productive colony, in this lecture on Tuesday, May 10, from 7 – 8:30 at the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.  The program is co-sponsored by the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture.  Members of either sponsoring organization will pay $10, non-members $15.  Register at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or call 781-283-3094.  Image from www.treehugger.com.

  • Monday, January 10, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – The Secret Lives of Honey Bees

    Most people are familiar with the sight of a honey bee forager as she visits flowers in a garden or park, but few people know the rich story of the life of a colony within the darkness of a hive.  Wellesley College Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Heather Mattila studies the social organization of honey bees, and her hives lend a lively presence to the arboretum.  heather will unravel the secret life of honey bees, including the different kinds of bees that are found in hives and the jobs that they do, as well as the means by which honey bees communicate to ensure that the end result of their interactions is a healthy and productive colony.  The program, on Monday, January 10, will begin with tea at 2 pm, followed by the lecture at 2:30.  $10 for WCFH members, $15 for non-members.  Register at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.