The Native Bee Society of British Columbia has some exciting events coming up so we just wanted to send an e-mail so you can be sure to put them in your calendar.
This is a great time to become a member of the Native Bee Society of British Columbia!
Tell your friends!
Please take a look at our events page for details on how to sign up for these events:
Apr 27, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PDT: Native Bee Study Group
The first Native Bee Study group is happening on April 27th, at 7:00 PM on Zoom. This group is an opportunity for connecting and learning about native bees with others throughout the province. We will have a theme each month, and will use this as a jumping off point to share our own knowledge and learn from others. Experts and complete beginners welcome! It will be a show and tell format, and anyone who is interested in participating can create a slide on the shared google slides deck to share with the group (link sent with registration). Photos can also be sent to bcnativebees@gmail.com with a subject line of "Native Bee Study Group"
Our April Theme: First Bees of 2022 and Their Hosts
April 29-May 2 City Nature Challenge on iNaturalist
The City Nature Challenge is taking place across BC this April 29 – May 2. We would love you to join in the fun and post your bee observations on iNaturalist. Whether you live in or near a city or not, we’re always happy to see B.C. native bees in our iNaturalist Bee tracker Project. Any bee observed during this time is automatically uploaded to our project celebrating BC native bees. We will be using the date to create resource materials to conservation efforts such as creating regional bee gardening guides. Check your local City Nature Challenge participating groups to find in-person events as well.
Photo by Valerie Huff
Breaking News!!! May 7 Live Event in the Kootenays!!!! We are so excited to announce an in-person event presented with the Kootenay Native Plant Society celebrating bee and flower interactions in camas meadows in the Koots!
This event is supported by the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program
May 7, 2022 from 10am-2pm, near Nelson, BC (exact location tba)
Join us live in the Kootenays for a free family-friendly event exploring and celebrating Wild bees in Camas Meadows. The event will be hosted by Kootenay Native Bee Taxonomist Lincoln Best, Pollinator Technician Rowan Rampton, and Ethnobotanist Brenda Beckwith and NBSBC co-chair Lori Weidenhammer. The event starts with outdoor lectures on native plants and bee diversity in camas meadows, a guided walk, and a packed lunch. The exact location of the event will be sent out closer to the date. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.
In addition to its importance as a staple food for Indigenous Peoples, camas meadows are essential to our native pollinators. The Kootenay Native Plant Society has documented more than 50 species of bees that visit camas, and more than 100 species of B.C. native bees that visit diverse camas meadows.
Registration is required and limited to 25 people. The exact location will be sent out a few days before the event. This event is free, and we encourage you to become members of the society to support us. Donations are also gratefully accepted. Register at our website.
This event is free, but you will have to reserve a ticket. We do encourage you to become a member and we will gladly accept donations!
May 19, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom: Micro-Explorations
How can you tell a mason bee from a honeybee, or a bumble bee from a digger bee? We know bees are important for pollination, but how have different bees specialized different parts of their bodies to do that job? How can we learn about the flowers they have been visiting? What about those bees that don’t collect pollen at all? Did you know some bees use their jaws as excavators, as leaf trimmers, and as combs? Have you seen the hooks on the hind wing of a bee where they hook into the front wing, so they flap together? Join us to take a REALLY close look at a few of BC’s 500 bee species! This is the third talk in the IMERSS series using microscopy in real time, partnering with the Native Bee Society of BC.