National Bee Association

The season is rapidly winding straight down with all the quick approach of xmas directly on the pumps of your very first considerable snowfall. Our bees tend to be tucked in and it'll be interesting to see just what this year’s overwintering will unveil within the springtime. Our after that “meeting” is our annual holiday potluck and is this coming Monday, December 12th at 7:00 pm. We're going to NOT be performing starting beekeeping courses that evening. Deliver a dish to generally share, a plate and silverware and a wrapped present suitable (under $20) when it comes to white elephant present trade. Please take into account that we have some children that participate every year, so if your gift is not suitable for a child, kindly show. The club will offer turkey, ham and beverages. If you’re contemplating watching the artwork of honey judging, bring a jar for Bob Smith that will be showing the procedure.

If you’d choose to purchase a “These flowers Feed Bees” indication for Christmas time gift giving, i am going to have the huge and little indications available on Monday night. What a super thoughtful gift the pollinator enthusiast that you know!!

I’d like to thank the OBA board and chairperson of our organization for the next amazing 12 months. They all invest such a significant length of time and work that benefits the club, our neighborhood, beekeeping and our bees. An unique thanks to Kathy Miles for making certain we have refreshments at every meeting and making the effort to haul every thing in-and-out each meeting night. We so definitely appreciate you!!!

In 2016 we continued our commitment using the Sustainability in Prisons Project individuals, offering beekeeping instruction to inmates at Cedar Creek Corrections Center. Their programs happen creating countless buzz nationwide also prisons are interested in applying similar educational programs. We in addition proceeded our commitment with the Port of Olympia and Olympia local Airport with hives truth be told there. The Airbee staff includes Roy Manicke, Frank Scolaro, James Martin and Bruce Longmire and they have done an outstanding task handling the airport hives. This season, we were able to harvest some honey in addition to Port’s share had been donated to SafePlace in Olympia because of their annual fundraising auction. A short presentation regarding task was presented with at November 14th Port Commission conference where in fact the group was also introduced. This fall, the team caused Dr. Danny Najera of Green River College, (and a frequent fabulous presenter to your organization) to put in a sensor on one regarding the hives at airport to gather moisture, heat and weight information on the cold temperatures. We’re very excited to be working with Danny!

In February we participated in our first-ever All-Agriculture Day in cooperation because of the Washington State Beekeepers Association at the Capitol. A few associations were represented, including the OBA. A honey tasting ended up being create, great connections had been made and time carefully enjoyed as well as other farming teams and organizations which were participating. We had been in addition delighted to witness Governor Jay Inslee signing HB 2478 on March 29th. This costs, which will help produce bee forage pilot projects will also help landowners discover ways to successfully replace noxious weeds with great bee forage.

We in addition setup two hives of bees during the Governor’s Mansion on Capitol Grounds in Olympia. This exciting project allowed us to carry pollinator awareness towards the grounds staff, whom got a special academic presentation in addition to to guests, staff and people to the Capitol therefore the mansion. I was delighted to be able to offer a quick talk regarding the hive set up and bees during Ed Hume and Trudi Inslee’s yearly organic yard growing occasion in the mansion. We are anticipating this continued collaboration into the coming year. Plentiful thanks to the Mansion Bee Team that includes Duane McBride, Jeff Coleman and Mark Emrich. This tale became nationwide media news so we hope it becomes a model for other state governor’s to check out suit.

The connection has also been well-represented at several neighborhood outreach activities including our first “Adult Swim-The Science of Eats” and a honey tasting at the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia including taking part in their kid’s camp along with other museum events. We additionally participated in the Nisqually Watershed Festival the second 12 months. We had a booth in the Thurston County Conservation District’s annual native plant sale occasion, introduced pollinators to the Master Gardener’s Children’s Program at DirtWorks (their demonstration yard), did presentations for Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary groups, participated in Yelm Cinema’s Earth Week event, another system on WET Science Center plus arrived a job interview to talk “bees” with Dick Pust on KXXO’s “It’s Your Community”.