It's been a tough few years, ya'll. It's been difficult to not only care for ourselves and the people in our lives, but also for our poor planet (in this economy?!) In many ways, it feels like environmental justice has lost its footing in a post-covid world. Many people are struggling to get back to where we were, and it feels, well, a bit hopeless. What can we do?

We are excited to invite you all back to one of our most successful workshops from last summer that aims to bring some lightness (and informative action!) to the subject and make you bee-lieve again!

What can we do in our busy bee lives to help the environment? What is the state of the world of pollinators? How can we take action locally, to hopefully help globally? What is the difference from a native bee and a honey bee? What plants are best for different pollinators? What does a day in the life of a bee look like? How can we support native pollinators and their ecosystems in various capacities?

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Although we can't promise we're going to save the world (maybe next year!), but we can promise that this workshop will help you understand a bit more about what is happening in your own backyard. Join the Bad Academy on a guided tour of North Vancouver (specifically Grand Boulevard Park!) through the eyes of a native bee with a professional Melittologist!

Outline for the day:

• Gather at Grand Boulevard Park (exact location will be shared closer to the workshop day)
• A lesson on how to identify different pollinators along with a guidebook that you'll take home!
• Walk through gardens and parks to observe pollinators in their natural environment! We have the license to catch and release live bees so you'll see the real deal during the workshop!
• Honey tasting that will blow your mind!
• End the tour with an optional bee house decorating session (additional cost) to keep! (cute fact: the reason we decorate the house is because bees like to orient their home with objects around it in the environment, so having different visuals on the house makes it easier for them to remember which nesting hole is theirs!)
• Questions and final thoughts

What's Included:

• A 2-hour walking tour where we'll observe, learn, and have lots of hands on time!
• A take home pollinator guide
• Honey tasting
• Additional cost: A bee house (a $70 value) and 45 minute decorating time (all materials included) all for only $25!
  

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Kristen Penhall (she/they) is an expert apiarist who has two certificates in beekeeping from Alberta and from B.C. She graduated from Farm School as part of the Sustainable Agriculture Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and has a certificate from the Environmental Youth Alliance for their pollinator program. She is currently taking numerous continuing education courses on native bees and teaches through the KPU farm school program, the Sharing Farm, and is currently an Apprentice in the Master Mellitologist Program through the Oregon State University.