BLUE BEE SANTA BARBARA HOW TO

Moreover, CALPIRG is actively working with instructors to incorporate bee-friendly material into the courses to ensure an increase in education and participation regarding bee awareness. In addition to the committee, they are also in the process of implementing a sustainable habitat plan with the greenhouse on campus.

Recently, members of CALPIRG have begun working with groups on campus to create a committee focused on their seven-step process. Maintain a web presence to share your Bee Campus USA news and activities Post signage to educate campus and broader communityĦ. Offer pollinator focused courses and/or workshopsĥ. Sponsor and track student service-learning projects to enhance pollinator habitatsĤ. Establish a committee and develop a habitat planģ. When asked about current projects for bee politics, Nick Wigle, the head of Super Bee Rescue stated one of his projects includes, “convincing people to do live removals instead of extermination.” This effort to increase live removals reflects UCSB’s commitment towards becoming a bee-certified campus as well as preserving the future of local bee populations.Īfter speaking with Kayla Gosnell, an associate with CALPIRG, in order for UCSB to become a bee-certified campus they created a seven-step process. Unfortunately UCSB hasn’t completely phased out the neonicotinoids in their pesticide usage, however, UCSB has an established relationship with Super Bee Rescue, a local company that goes out to manually remove hives from the local and surrounding areas in Santa Barbara. According to CALPIRG, a student-funded campus political research organization, one of their main campaigns is directed towards saving the bees, mainly by banning neonicotinoids (a very toxic pesticide) within the county of Santa Barbara, and eventually the state. has partnered with local bee rescues in order to position themselves in becoming a bee friendly university.

If you are new to beekeeping, or just have a curiosity about the weird people in white suits with netting, this is the right place to bee.” In addition to this, SBBA has education programs including beginning backyard beekeeping, intermediate-advanced beekeeping workshops, and Sweet Start - which is a program for students and young people who wish to receive formal bee job training. The organization's website proclaims “SBBA is here to help you along in your beekeeping journey. SBBA is now a non-profit organization, which focuses on education, awareness, and honeybee preservation. Before this, the organization was just a little Google Group of enthusiastic backyard beekeepers headed by Krista Harris the publisher of Edible Santa Barbara. If this ensues, the club would provide the bees and the associated pollination services for crops, and the farmers would provide a space to keep the hives.Ĭontinuingly, the Santa Barbara Beekeeping Association was officially started in 2011 by Todd Bebb and Paul Cronshaw. Furthermore, the UCSB Beekeeping club has been communicating with local farmers who are interested in a symbiotic relationship. This strategy will hopefully increase the longevity of the club, as personally commitment is required. Each member in this group receives their own equipment, supplies, and hive, which they are personally invested in this differs from past groups that used communal hives. Although the group has only just begun, they have already installed hives for native pollinators, painting the bee boxes with silicone based paint.

BLUE BEE SANTA BARBARA HOW TO

Furthermore, the club works as a forum for learning about biodiversity and pragmatic learning apiculture, as well as providing information regarding how to care for bees and raise them sustainably. According to Lafferty, this new club strives to educate about bees and encourage overall conservation. According to their Facebook page, this campus organizations mission statement was “working with and learning about bees through beekeeping and other activities.” Although, the Facebook page seemed lively with multiple beekeeping events, Bee Conscious only lasted until 2015.Īnother UCSB Beekeeping club has emerged in 2017 headed by Bela Lafferty. Beginning in 2013, the Bee Conscious organization emerged with hopes to ignite local interest in beekeeping. The UCSB and Isla Vista community has had a fruitful relationship with bees throughout the years.

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