Weekly 101 (Meg Paska Edition)

I have been informed that I missed a couple of upcoming events in my latest Weekly 101 update! Not being one to let INJUSTICE stand, here is a special update, just to make up for it!

First and most excitingly, the Honeysuckle Rosies, a Women's Beekeeping Social Club based in Brooklyn (and the brainchild of Meg Paska), is hosting its FIRST EVER Gab-N-Guzzle.

Come out to the BACK BAR at the Bedford (on Bedford and N 11th) on Tuesday, April 19th for some drinks and bee-talk. This will be a great opportunity for beekeepers in the area to share experiences from the past season and share what they are planning for this current season.

The Bedford has graciously allowed for us to gather at their fine establishment where they serve really great food and outstanding drinks at a reasonable price.

So come on out, all you beekeepers and wanna-bees!

Check out our Fan Page here: http://www.facebook.com/HoneysuckleRosies

It's free, it'll be fun, and there'll be drankin'. I'll be there wearing plaid, trying not to giggle at the name of the club, and sharing my BEE WISDOM. It starts at 7.

GOOOOO!

Meg Paska, on a good day.

For those of you that have missed the latest crop of Beekeeping 101 courses offered in the city this spring, Meg Paska is teaching a late session of her excellent "Rooftop Beekeeping 101" course at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn, starting May 1st.

Beekeeping isn’t just for farmers anymore! Learn the ins-and-outs of keeping bees in an urban environment. Maintaining an apiary is easier than you think. All one needs is a relatively accessible rooftop with a lot of sun, 15 minutes a week and tolerance for the occasional sting. With some patience, you can harvest your own distinctive, local honey and contribute to the pollination of your community’s flora!

In spite of what you might think, Honeybees thrive in urban areas like New York City. With an abundance of flowering trees and weeds, pollinators have their pick of as much nectar and pollen as any country bee might. In addition, they don’t come into contact with pesticides like rural bees do, so colonies tend to be healthier.

In this class you will learn about honeybee anatomy and behavior, hive function and construction, neighborly relations, urban beekeeping pros and cons, disease and pests, legality and safety and much more. You will leave this class with enough understanding and confidence to start your own colony in the Spring.

It'll be too late to start a colony for 2010, but that doesn't mean you can't start getting ready for 2011! The class is $80 for 3rdWard members and $100 for non-members. Spaces are limited and Meg is a great beekeeper to learn from, so snag a spot WHILE YOU STILL CAN!

Sign up at www.3rdWard.com.


Finally, the NYC Beekeeping Group was kind enough to remind me that they have an upcoming seminar on solitary bees on Wednesday, April 20th! If you aren't ready (or interested) in keeping honeybees, hosting a solitary bee nest is an absolutely fantastic way to help support native pollinators with minimum fuss!

Bee Lovers !

Sign up now at the Solitaries Program (form link) to be included in the Bee Lovers's Solitary Bees program this year. You'll receive a nest with bees ready to hatch, and two seminars: an Introduction presented on [April 20th], and a Fall Lab Seminar where you'll check the health of your nest and discover what other pollinators may have laid there. PLEASE PICK UP YOUR BEES SATURDAY APRIL 16th AT THE HABANA EARTHDAY EVENT (12-5)

We're collecting $25 per unit to defray costs. All funds are used to support exclusively charitable and public purposes. Please bring payment, check or cash (checks preferred) when you pick up your bees.

$25 is a small price to pay for the satisfaction of helping to maintain a healthy and diverse population of pollinators!

Remember to RSVP at their website, www.NYCBeekeeping.com.