Sandra Sweeney will be talking about making houses for native bees for our Mini Session.  

This presentation is will be why purchasing a commercially made, garden department "bee hotel" will be futile and what you can make instead.  She will briefly touch on the life cycle of the bees as well because timing and location determine success. Download Making a house for native bees.docx to make a bee house for yourself.

Jessica Shiffler will be presenting Native Plants in the Landscape for our Main Session.

Learn about the ecological benefits of choosing native plants over turfgrass in your lawn and garden. Help native pollinators,  birds and our beloved non-native honeybees and provide four seasons of interest and function, all while beautifying your space!

About Jessie:

My husband and I started keeping honeybees 5 years ago, "to help save the bees!"  After attending many local beekeeping clubs' meetings and conferences, I began to realize that forage was a big topic of discussion. Tending the honeybees made me pay more attention to when plants were blooming and what was happening outside in general.   At the same time, I was becoming more educated about the importance of native plants for their ecological functions, but no one was mentioning this at beekeeping meetings.  As beekeepers, potentially putting pressure on the native ecosystem, we have a responsibility to give back and improve biodiversity for all the flora and fauna.  So I started giving presentations to educate beekeepers and homeowners about ways they can improve the ecological functioning of their property, by planting native plants - providing more forage for all bees, pollinators, birds and beyond!  I started a local chapter of the national non-profit group, Wild Ones, to help spread this message and to get native plants out in everyone's landscapes.  Help me heal the Earth, one yard at a time!