Tuesdays || November 1st, 15th, 22nd + 29th || 6:00-7:30
No class on election night, November 8th
Bee Thinking || 1744 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Four weeks, $150 || Space is limited. 

What is Colony Collapse Disorder, and how will it affect you? Since the astounding Apis mellifera was introduced in North America in the late 1600’s, it has become what Ecologists refer to as a “keystone” species. Without the pollination services they provide, many of our nation’s most desirable foods, from fruits + vegetables to beef, would not be as readily available on grocery store shelves.

44% of the nation’s managed honeybee colonies died in 2015. Conscientious observers are now pondering how they can help. Learn about a range of practices that may help contribute to the honeybee population, from adapting home gardening + pest management practices to keeping your own urban beehive. This class is for bee lovers and aspiring beekeepers alike, and will help you cultivate your own deep and impactful relationship with one of our ecosystems most crucial contributors.

Week 1: Bee-ology
Each bee is an individual, and a colony of bees is a superorganism. In this class, learn what this means, and how an organized honeybee society functions as a whole. We will cover social castes, division of labor, communication, genetics, and the major “beecological” relationships.

Week 2: History of Bees + Humans
8,000 year old cave paintings are the first document of a human-bee relationship. We will cover all the major benchmarks of this association, from honey hunting to modern commercial beekeeping.

Week 3: What You Can Do
There are many things you can do to help bees, and they range in intensity. For instance, the first and most helpful thing to do for bees is to plant flowers. We will cover a wide range of contributions in this class, including how to get started with keeping your own urban hive.

Week 4: Natural Urban Beekeeping
For those interested in helping bees and home garden yields, this class will build off of the basics of getting started in urban and backyard beekeeping. We will cover techniques for monitoring hive health, harvesting honey, processing wax, winterizing your hive, and much more!