2015 Tour de Hives

The Tour de Hives will engage, educate and enchant you with a first-hand look at honeybees in hives across the city, guided by the humans who tend them. On Sunday, June 7th, join us for a bicycle tour of apiaries in Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, and Chestnut Hill, followed by a festival and picnic lunch at the beautiful Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain. Come celebrate the bees with us!

General Admission has SOLD OUT but there are still a limited number of tickets available for our family-oriented tour group (which includes seeing live bees and making candles, among other activities).

The lunch/festival portion of our day is also free and open to the public, so swing by the Loring Greenough House in JP anytime between noon and 3pm to check out our vendors, taste a variety of local honey as well as honey from around the world, grab a vegan taco from the Taco Party food truck and listen to some live folk tunes!

More details can be found here.

O.N.C.E. Follow the Honey on July 23rd

Cuisine en Locale teams up with Harvard Square’s Follow The Honey, Inc.and Soon Spoon on Wednesday, July 23 to produce a 10-course culinary journey through 10+ Massachusetts apiaries, including Herban Honey from Sadie’s Leland hives! 

Commune with local bees and their stewards in peak summer with local honey harvests for 10 nectar-ific courses, with bee education and bee entertainment throughout the evening, including a “bee bearding” by performance artist Sarah Paterson and Carlisle Honey beekeeper Rick Reault; a mellifluous performance from honey-tongued Cambridge Poet Populist Emeritas, Toni Bee, and a Best Bees live hive observation, among other buzzworthy surprises.

Oh, and dress to impress: best “Yellow Is The New Black” costume wins a private after-hours tasting for 6 at Follow The Honey.

The Menu

• Event sponsor Green River Ambrosia Mead-Poached Sea Scallops
• Honey-Drizzled Duck Paté Croquembouche 
• Sticky Honey BBQ Stillman Lamb Ribs 
• Honeyed Pork Shoulder Arepas
• Poulet en Pot de Miel with Lemon Verbena-Kissed Summer Veg Melange
• Propolis-Dusted Lamb Belly MassMex Tacos
• Vanilla-Calamintha-Bee Pollen Lobster Heaven
• Honeycomb Crown Roast of Beef w/African Blue Basil Salad
• Summer Blueberry Honey Sorbet
• Chilled Cucumber Soup with Honeyed Sophia’s Yogurt
• Strawberry Oatcake with Lemon Balm Honey Marscapone
• Sopapilla Snack

 Stay tuned for the honey-inspired drink menu.

 Tickets on sale now at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/once-follow-the-honey-tickets-12198384697

Organic Bee School – Jan / Feb 2014

Organic Bee School – Jan / Feb 2014

Have you ever considered becoming a social insect steward or a honey matron?

Join us for a 6-week, hands-on course for anyone interested in bees and beginning beekeeping! You will learn. . .

★ The basic techniques of organic beekeeping, including materials and equipment, beehive structure, the life cycle of bees, hive development and dynamics, seasonal apiary work, honey and hive products, common pests and diseases, and organic hive management.
★ We will taste local and varietal honeys, and learn about harvesting and using bee products.
★ You will learn everything you need to know to set up your own backyard apiary!

WHERE: Agricultural Hall, 245 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA

WHEN: Six consecutive Thursday evenings, January 23rd – February 27th, 7:00pm – 8:30pm. There will also be a hands-on field date in April, date TBD.

COST: $165 (adults); $100 (18 and under)
Course fee includes a hands-on field day in April, date TBD.

REGISTER TODAY: http://beeschool.brownpapertickets.com

Course books will be provided on the day of the class, for an additional $12
All registrants will receive 10% discount on a purchase up to $200 at Agricultural Hall (a great local source of beekeeping materials and equipment!)

Course instructors: Stephanie Elson and Sadie Richards are co-founders of the Boston Beekeepers Club, and organizers of the Tour de Hives (an annual bike tour of Boston’s urban apiaries). Stephanie has been keeping bees for 5 years in her backyard. She runs The Benevolent Bee, a local business selling honey, candles, and other handcrafted bee products. Sadie is a 4th year beekeeper. She keeps her bees at the Leland Street Community Garden, and at the Boston Nature Center. Guest lecturers will also visit the class on occasion. Both Stephanie and Sadie trained in beekeeping under local organic beekeeper, Jean-Claude Bourrut.

This course is offered through the Boston Beekeepers Club
& hosted by Agricultural Hall

8/25 Leland Honey Day

The Leland apiarists, Sadie Richards and Addy Smith-Rieman, will begin the day by talking briefly about their beekeeping philosophy, opening a hive for curious onlookers (veils will be available), and sampling various local honeys.

Local beekeepers Stephanie Elson and Emile Bruneau of The Benevolent Bee will be selling their beehive products.

Artists and bee tenders Maria Molteni and Colette Aliman will be on site Festooning with their giant inflatable hive.

The Leland Street Community Herb Garden is short uphill walk from the Orange Line Forest Hills T-stop.  Walk via Weld Hill to Wachusett St. then a left on Leland!

National Honey Bee Day this Saturday!

Hello everyone! This is Sadie, taking a stab at my first blog post! On Monday I had the joyful experience of exploring the social insect world and conquering fears in the apiary when I introduced 20 “Farm to Table” campers (9-12 year-olds from around Boston) to my two honeybee colonies at Leland – Linden and Locust. I was so inspired by this group of young people who will be the next generation of environmental stewards, and was reminded of one of the key reasons I keep bees –  to educate and engage people (especially children) in ecological exploration and the interconnectedness of all life on earth. 

In that vein of thought, Addy, Kathleen (one of Leland garden’s co-founders who has tended the garden since it was created on neglected vacant land in 1983) and I will be speaking about our experiences and philosophy of beekeeping in a communal garden on National Honey Bee Day this Saturday, August 17th at 5:00pm at Follow The Honey, Inc. Come join us – and other wonderful tenders and lovers of bees – for an hour or the whole day! See below for the schedule and link to the event’s facebook page.

NATIONAL HONEY BEE DAY ~ Massachusetts

The National Honey Bee Day Theme 2013
“Beekeeping – Ask Me How to Get Started”

August 17 2013 SATURDAY
Hosted by Follow The Honey, Inc.
1132 Massachusetts Avenue
Harvard Square ~ between Club Oberon & Karma Yoga

Join us on the Nectar Deck for a day of fun, free & informal talks by the following fabulous honey bee mavens!

Noon: Kevin Block-Schwenk, professor of mathematics and economics at Berklee College of Music ~ “BEE WAGES”

1pm Rick Reault, New England Beekeeping Supplies & Carlisle honey ~ BEEKEEPING 101

2pm Benadette Manning, Classroom Hives, Inc. “Why Do Bees Build Hexagonal Prisms”

3pm Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich, Best Bees, Inc. “What’s Killing our Honey Bees?”

4pm Jeff Murray, Classroom Hives, Inc. “Observation Hive Management at Home”

5pm Sadie Richards & Addy Smith-Reiman of http://www.HerbanHoney.com + Kathleen Robinson: “Engaging Kids (& Kids at Heart) in Urban Beekeeping At Boston’s Leland Community Herb Garden & Beyond”

6 pm Toni Bee, Cambridge Populist Poet “Emeritas” performing Original Mellifluous Odes to the Bees

Through the afternoon Melissa Brodeur of Bee Well Massage will be on site with mini-chair massages. Proceeds to bee research!

7pm ~ we’re planning a pot luck with our honey bee crew to celebrate our 2nd year anniversary. Please bring something to share and mingle with the BEE’ple! ♥

The honey a bee makes during its lifetime doesn’t sweeten its sting

Ouch, ouch and ouch… No matter how glorious the morning was, or how much honey I have in my hives, how happy the ladies are, or even how excited I was that some friends showed up at the garden to learn more about Mavis and Sally – nothing takes away the pain of the sting… especially on my high cheekbone!

I’m writing this with half a swollen face – barely able to see out of my right eye – (I thought it best to not share a visual) – and frustrated that I did not listen to my gut instinct to NOT take off my veil… But I was hot, and in the midst of great conversation – and well… I made a huge mistake! Lesson learned!

But the foolery took place after a full inspection of both hives- and wow!  Both Sally and Mavis are producing brood and honey unlike anything I have ever seen.

Charlotte, Stephanie and Heather joined Josh and me for a two hour excursion in both hives (the bigger the hive body, the longer it takes to inspect!)

There are FULL frames of honey on the outer edges of the deep hive bodies and the supers I installed a few weeks ago are well on their way to being full with uncapped honey.  The brood in the frames looks extremely healthy and has a diverse mix of eggs and larvae at various stages.

There’s little to any pest issue except I DID see one bee (in Sally) with a mite on its back…

Most hives have mites – so I‘ll have to pay close attention to the strength of Sally and make sure the ladies can keep this pest in check.  I’m against treating chemically – so the only treatment I even consider is powdered sugar  – where you douse the frames, covering the bees in a snow-like haze.  I did this last year with great results (I had a mite free hive) – but it really angers the bees and causes unnecessary sugar build-up along the frames (and what they don’t clean up can/will turn to mold).  So this year I’m letting the bees fend for themselves…  We’ll see!

With only one extra veil to share among the onlookers, each took turns venturing over to the hive with caution and curiosity – Stephanie was first and fared well –but it was Charlotte, the next onlooker, who took the first sting (under her arm!) – sorry Charlotte!  And then poor Heather – she was keeping her distance – standing far back in the garden with Josh when a honey bee flew in to her nose – IN TO her nose – but she remained beautifully calm, kept talking and then in one strong blow expelled the bee from her nostril – safely – and both she and the bee were spared!

BUT – later, when she came closer to the hive to take one last peak, another bee landed on the tip of her nose and well… she wasn’t so lucky this time!

Oh, gosh, two friends stung on my invitation – I felt so horrible.  But bees do sting!  And it makes me realize I’m at fault for not warning my guests enough on the great agitators.  Sweat (and it was brutally hot – and we were all dripping with it) really ticks the ladies off, so does any residue of banana (banana mimics enemy pheromones).  I learned that Charlotte had a banana earlier in the day – yikes!

Tank tops, shorts and sandals aren’t the best attire – I wear a long sleeved shirt under a canvas jacket with heavy canvas pants and boots – probably a bit excessive – but I am going deep in to the hive.  Sadie has extra veils (I only have one extra) so in the future I’ll pick more up on the way to the garden so no one will have to wait to trade off.   But bring a light jacket at the very least – as for bees flying up someone’s nose… I’m at a loss on preventing that!

My next visit will be in two weeks – when I will check on these super towers!

I hope I haven’t scared anyone away with the tales of the day – it can be used as a cautionary tale – when visiting the hives PLEASE do not eat any bananas prior!

But it’s still a ton of fun – and always filled with amazing discoveries.  I hope to see some of you in the garden!

Busy as a Bee

I can’t believe it has been FIVE months since I last posted to bee-mail!  Gosh I have been busy as a bee!  But what a winter/spring chock-a-block with bee related events!

First – there was the February Festooning extravaganza let by Maria Molteni and Colette Aliman at the BU 808 Gallery.  Wow!  What an honor to be a part of this group!  Sadie and I, along with Kathleen Robinson, were there to present on the Leland Garden and its history of apiary stewardship – it’s always a treat to hear Kathleen tell the tale of the founding of the garden!

My favorite presenter from this event was Lotte de Moor from SkyHive  – not only was she a blast to hang out with after the day’s events – but I really love what this design collective does.

The February Festooning was followed by the March BNAN (Boston Natural Areas Network) Gardener’s Gathering  – where my friend Mario D’Amato, a newly minted MUG (Master Urban Gardener) 2013 graduate and beekeeper at the Victory Gardens, facilitated a panel on urban beekeeping.  Sadie and I, along with Bill Perkins from Ag Hall and Dean and Ramona from Golden Rule, shared our apis mellifora tales with a rapt audience: curious, engaged and ready to embark on their own adventure.

By late March I received the sad news that my two nucs I had ordered from Fairfax, VT did not make it through the winter.  This was devastating.  Where does a beekeeper find stock to supply two hives so late in the season?  I searched high and low- because I did not – under any circumstance – want a Georgia bred package. (I’ll get to why later)

Two apiaries got back to me – Nature’s Way Farms in the Finger Lakes region of New York (a region dear to my heart because of grad school) – and the other, Northwoods Apiary in Westfield, the far reaches of Northern Vermont on the Canadian border (also dear to me as I lived in the Northeast Kingdom for over 5 years).

It was 6 of one ½ dozen of the other – and I got in touch with Josh White from Northwoods first. I loved our conversation –we talked about organic treatment, leaving the bees alone as much as possible and the negative practice of large scale bee ‘factories’ in Georgia – Josh stated most of the Georgia bees are bred to breed – not necessarily bred for strength, winter hardiness or even high yields of honey production – and I agree.  Plus – it’s tremendously difficult to get strong stock from artificially inseminated Queens.  If I were stuck with a package I would re-Queen anyway (which, of course has its pros and cons… it really is trial and error!)

Josh carries hygienic Carniolan Queens – winter hardy ladies of Slovak/Czech Carpathian Mountain region descent – that are open mated with Vermont (or Canadian) drones –  wow – that’s an awesome pedigree!

I was pleased with my selection – but had to wait until Memorial Day to pick them up.   What a great excuse to plan a weekend in Vermont – visiting friends en route to pick up bees from the same town, Westfield, my favorite cheese comes from.

It was a glorious weekend (except for the weather) – with one night in Hardwick, a day in Glover  and one night in the Eastern Townships of Quebec (in North Hatley).  We had to drive a friend to Montpelier – so at one point there were three humans, two dogs and 40,000 bees in our little Honda Fit!  Fun times – even if it SNOWED on the way home!  Yes, snow on Memorial Day Weekend – such a typical late spring in northern New England.

Northwoods Apiary nuc yard and workshop

The bees were introduced to their new home – with some modification to the site in the garden.  Josh and I weeded and leveled the soil and replaced my beautiful stands with the old table for sturdier support. And that was it!

While the ladies adjusted to the ‘southern’ climate and new digs I continued my bee endeavors at the 3rd Tour de Hives.   What an amazing event – produced by incredible volunteers from the Boston Beekeepers Club  to introduce urban beekeeping and urban cycling to those in the Boston metro area.  Bikes and bees – what’s not to LOVE?!?

The number of people in attendance  (I’m guessing 150 – could have been more!) and their curiosity and enthusiasm was so exciting!    Mark your calendar for next year – this is truly an event NOT TO MISS!

We started on Boston Common

The roof-top hives on at Fairmount Copley Plaza

A patient participant

Curious onlookers at Best Bees in the South End

Maria and Collete’s Inflatable Hive at the Fenway Victory Gardens

I visited my ladies one time since the installation – for a very quick inspection two weeks ago (6/23) – and gosh were they active – they’re working hard!  With almost two deeps totally full I added on a super to each hive.  I plan to add another super this weekend.

**So – if you are around and want to visit Sally and Mavis with me I encourage you to come to the apiary tomorrow, Sunday, July 7^th, at 11A.  I will be conducting a MAJOR hive inspection – and you are more than welcome to watch and learn!**

And I’m back in the bee-Mail groove – so stay tuned for a post after the inspection – I’m sure there will be tons to share!

ApiSocial this Saturday!

 

A February chill

This weekend’s storm brought so much snow that I could actually ski to the bees.  My neighbor, Amy, and I skied the Southwest Corridor to Forrest Hills where we met Amy’s colleague from work – and the three of us hiked up Weld Hill to the garden.

I didn’t know what to expect since supplying the ladies with the candy board – and had a feeling of panic that they maybe ate every last bit of the 16lbs of sugar and were starving.  It was a cold few weeks in early January.

The garden was gorgeous- blanketed with at least 3’ of snow.   With our skis we trekked over to the hive.

I was sure I would see the ladies buzzing in and out- as the temperature was warming up quite a bit.  But nothing – not a stir.  I grew worried – it’s not a good sign if all is quiet in the Apis mellifera world on a warm sunny day – even in post-blizzard conditions.

I brushed the snow off the hive, removed the bricks and opened the inner cover .  The candy board was fully intact as if I put it in yesterday.  My heart sank.  This was clearly the worst sign – no one is eating – and that could only mean one thing.

I lifted the candy board – and there was the cluster – albeit lifeless – balled around two frames – frozen in time.  They indeed starved to death – but with 16lbs immediately above their domain and two full frames of honey inches away it was a total mystery to me.  How?  Why?

The loss is an odd sting.  Certainly there’s disappointment, followed by blame – and at some point an internal debate trying to rationalize that they’re just insects.  And, yes, they are insects that you rarely have control over – but they are also a beautiful living system in my charge.  There’s so much I learned from them through observation, maintenance, care  – and the patience I gained was a gift (not to mention the honey, pollen and wax!).  No matter how I think of it – it’s a sad day when your hive dies – and it took a few days to really sink in.

As a whole – the Apis mellifera are suffering tremendously.  Hives are dying at an alarming rate.  My apiary mate lost her two hives earlier this winter, a beekeeper I know in in the suburbs of Boston lost over six hives this winter  (he keeps 10), and similar stories just go on and on. The bees are weakened by a whole host of threats: diseases, pests, environmental factors, perhaps even the industry (of bee breeding) itself.  The only thing to do is to keep keeping bees.  I had quite the year with my loss and gains between Mavis and Sally – and have certainly learned a ton.  Of course I will continue.

To be honest, I anticipated the loss.  I had placed an order for two nucs [a nuc is a small bee colony established from a larger one – it consists of a few frames with brood, worker bees and their Queen] from a farm in Northern Vermont on New Year’s Day – one to replace Sally – and one as ‘insurance’ should anything happen to Mavis.  Mavis was pretty weak in late fall, and the chalkbrood didn’t help.  I’m curious to see if the Vermont ‘stock’ of bees is hardier – Mavis and Sally came from Georgia – where most hobbyists get their bees.  Obviously my southerners didn’t adapt too well – so I’m thinking overwintered nucs with naturally mated VT Queens might be stronger.  We’ll see.

For now the hives are quiet, empty – awaiting the potential of spring.

—

In Blackwater Woods

by Mary Oliver

Look, the trees
are turning
their own bodies
into pillars

 of light,
are giving off the rich
fragrance of cinnamon
and fulfillment,

the long tapers
of cattails
are bursting and floating away over
the blue shoulders

of the ponds,
and every pond,
no matter what its
name is, is

nameless now.
Every year
everything
I have ever learned

in my lifetime
leads back to this: the fires
and the black river of loss
whose other side

is salvation,
whose meaning
none of us will ever know.
To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

Upcoming Bee Events – SAVE THE DATES!

Winter greetings!

Save the dates!  There are few upcoming bee events in early February: Organic Bee School Saturday, February 9^th and Sunday, February 10th

and FESTOONiNG  – The Inflatable Beehive invites you to OVERWiNTER w/ APiSOCIAL SATURDAYS @ BU’s 808 Gallery Feb 9 & Feb 23

Photo by: Justina Wong

Organic Bee School will run two consecutive days (Saturday 2/9 and Sunday 2/10 from 8:30am-4:30pm each day).

During this two-day Bee School, Jean-Claude Bourrut will go over the basic techniques of organic beekeeping, including materials and equipment, beehive structure, the life cycle of bees, hive development and dynamic, seasonal apiary work, honey and hive products, common pests and diseases, and their organic management.

For those who are thinking about getting bees or are new to beekeeping, this is a great way to learn the Hows, Whys, and Whens of organic bee management.

 The Saturday class will be held at the

Nate Smith House; 155 Lamartine Street; Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

The Sunday Class will be held at The Food Project:

555 Dudley Street; Dorchester, MA 02119

Pre-registration required.

Cost: $125 members/ $145 non-members.

Books will be provided on the day of the class, for an additional $12.

About the Instructor: Jean-Claude Bourrut is the Assistant Director for the Natick Community Organic Farm. He has been keeping honeybees for 20 years in urban and suburban settings, and currently manages a dozen hives in two apiaries. He is also the co-founder of the Boston Beekeeping Club and Tour De Hives, an annual bike tour of local apiaries in the Greater Boston Area.

For more information, please contact Drew Love by email at drew@nofamass.org or by phone at 330-801-0389.

*FESTOONiNG // The Inflatable Beehive invites you to OVERWiNTER w/ APiSOCIAL SATURDAYS @ BU’s 808 Gallery

Feb 9 & Feb 23 // 2013

This series is part of the Alternative Visions/Sustainable Futures programing as well as the exhibition System ECOnomies which runs January 24-March 30

(Opening reception Thursday January 24, 6-8pm)

As the chilly season approaches don’t succumb to brainfreeze or anti-socialites. February 9th and 23rd, you are called to cluster, honeybee style, in Boston University’s 808 Gallery to learn a little something new about beehavior, community, and contemporary environmentalism. Keep the energy and ideas circulating as you rub elbows and antennae with an exceptional array of beekeepers, designers, community builders and apicultural experts.

Teachers’ Pets // An Introduction to Apiphilia
Saturday, Feb 9, 2013 // 12-5pm

Ok Cupid, your classic pick-up “Save the bees!” only got us so far with environmentalism. We’re ready to take our relationship to the next level. Today’s speakers offer a drop of science, pinch of art history, and spritz of classic sex-ed – an intriguing brew that may leave you hooked on Apis mellifera. Learning to understand these ladies may help us identify our own needs. A mere teaser will introduce us to the world of honey beehavior, social (super)organisms, api-architecture, and communication as it may be perceived by and reflected in human nature.

1pm // Love Stings // Dean Stiglitz and Ramona Herboldsheimer of Golden Rule Honey
Fatal exploding penises? Sperm with wings? Queens mating with other queens? If you don’t believe your imagination gather around the Inflato-hive to learn more about bees on bees. In two parts knowledgeable beekeepers Dean and Ramona would like to share the surprising and the often tragic facts regarding sex and honey bees, honey bee genetics, and the “Family Values” that dictate and rule over the honey bee democracy.

3pm // Life of the Party // BU Beekeepers invite Kathryn E Spilios Ph.D
The social life of bees is quite complex, but beautifully organized. Through a series of dance steps, the bees are able to communicate complicated information about their environment and encourage other bees to visit the flowers and bring back more food to keep the party going. Boston University’s very own Kathryn Spilios joins us from the Department of Biology to share her research focused on colony-level organization and communication in bees.

4pm // The Double Decker Dodeca  // Beekeeper Ron Breland
Why not make a hive out of Frozen Music? Ron’s experiments with alternative hive design for over forty years have convinced him that if we are to put Art back into the “Art of Beekeeping,” we must learn how to understand what Leonardo da Vinci meant when he spoke of The Shape and Form of the Invisible. With the help of a little Sacred Geometry from Pythagoras and the “Endless Columns” of Brancusi, we will have a look at the various factors that may, quite possibly, consign the modern bee hive to the dust bin of history.

Urban Hex: Honeybees & Community in the Urban Landscape
Saturday // Feb 23, 2013 // 12-5pm

As troubling news of Colony Collapse Disorder sweeps the planet, there is not only a rise in environmental awareness, but an effort to encourage fewer hives in the care of more individuals. In an attempt to restore the potential for biodiversity and refocus beekeeping from a dominant industrial realm, urban beekeeping has taken the spotlight with an array of innovative solutions. Today you’ll hear about the importance of community, urban agricultural spaces, and mentorship in cities stretching from Massachusetts to the Netherlands!

Herban|Urban Honey Flow // Leland Street Community Garden
The lineage of Boston beekeepers at the Leland Street Community Garden in Jamaica Plain spans 15 years. The latest apiarist duo to share hive space are Sadie Richards and Addy Smith-Reiman.  Their approach to keeping bees in an urban communal community garden is focused on educating the local community about urban beekeeping in a public place. Along with one of the garden founders, Kathleen Robinson, they’ll share their tales of urban apiculture, communal gardening and the traditions established by the forethought to establish and encourage the keeping of bees in the garden.

Banks of the Charles & Tour De Hives // BU Beekeepers
The BU Beekeepers is a group of undergraduates who maintain three hives on the banks of the Charles River. Student members will discuss the founding of the club, the challenges of sharing bees among many members, and the joys of training new beekeepers every season. The group will also talk about Boston’s annual Tour de Hives, a cycling tour of local bee hives now in its third year.

Bees over Boston // Golden Rule Honey
The interface between honey bees and an urban environment (population, infrastructure and flora) is a fascinating lens through which to look at our alteration of natural environments and how powerfully nature pushes back. From the roof of the Intercontinental Hotel and the historic Fenway Victory Gardens, to an organic farm in the Boston Harbor’s Long Island, Golden Rule manages bees in diverse Boston locations. They will discuss some of the challenges, rewards, and surprises involved in managing bees, breeding bees, and teaching beekeepers within the city limits.

SKY HIVE // SPECIAL GUESTS The Bee Collective
Hailing all the way from the Netherlands is a cooperation of beekeepers and designers searching for new ways to stimulate and enable beekeeping in a contemporary living environment. This collective, hailing from the Netherlands works for a broader understanding of the function and functioning of bees, brings together next generation beekeepers in a network and invites people to become a beekeeper. One of their products, the Sky Hive, enables beekeeping legally in urban, public spaces throughout Europe.