BC Native Bee Course

The Native Bee Society of BC is hosting two Bee School courses in the Okanagan this June. Each course has 15 spots available:

Session 1: June 15 - June 18, 2023

•  Lab component: Thurs June 15 - Fri June 16 
• Field component: Sat June 17 - Sun June 18

Session 2: June 17 - June 20, 2023

• Field component: Sat June 17 - Sun June 18
• Lab component: Mon June 19 - Tues June 20

Location: The lab component of each course will take place at Okanagan College in Penticton, BC, and the field component will be hosted at Sawmill Lake in Oliver, BC.

Course Fees: The fee for the course is $500. We offer a $50 discount to NBSBC members,  ar a $100 discount to participants of the Master Melittologist  program. A limited number of scholarships will be available to  participants with demonstrated financial need.   

Syllabus: The course syllabus can be found here.

Application: Applications will be open for the course until April 7, 2023. Selected and wait listed participants will be contacted by April 14th and offered a link to complete registration and payment. Participants  on the wait list will be contacted by the same date and notified later if a spot becomes available.

Course Instructors 

Lincoln Best - Lead Instructor

• Lincoln leads the Oregon Bee Atlas  and Master Melittologist programs in the faculty of Horticulture and  through Extension at Oregon State University. He hosts an annual BC  Native Bee Course in the southern Okanagan, Canada's bee biodiversity  hotspot.

Bonnie Zand - Co-Instructor 

• Bonnie is based out of the Comox  Valley, on Vancouver Island. She works in the intersections of  pollinators and agriculture, running an IPM consulting company, Bonnie’s  Bugs IPM, and leading the Vancouver Island Pests, Pollinators and Beneficials Project. Bonnie is the BC instructor for the Master Melittoligst program. Bonnie also contributes to pollinator conservation through outreach to garden clubs, bee clubs, and school groups, as well  as through her work with the endangered Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly.  

Marika Ai-Li - Course Coordinator

• Marika is the Manager of Programs & Stewardship at the Environmental  Youth Alliance. She oversees EYA's habitat restoration projects, native  plant nursery and environmental education programs for youth facing  barriers. She has a BSc in Applied Biology, Plant & Soil Sciences  from UBC. She is also a native bee educator who is passionate about  community engagement, and has led a variety of research, restoration and  citizen science projects relating to native bees over the past decade.  

Accommodations: Bee  School participants are required to arrange their own accommodations.  There are many hotels and AirBnB's available in the area. A recommended  campground close to the field site is Loose Bay Campground (no reservations, payment made on arrival).

Cancellation & Refund Policy: To cancel, please email us at bcnativebees@gmail.com with an email titled "Bee School Cancellation - [First and Last Name]".

• Cancellations prior to May 15, 2023 will receive a full refund, less a $30 administration fee.
• Cancellations  between May 15 and June 10, 2023 will be offered a refund (less the $30  administration fee) only in cases where we are able to confirm a  waitlisted participant to fill your spot.
• Refunds will not be administered following June 10, 2023