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Our March meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 25 7-9 pm
We will meet in Bristol Aggie - Student Commons (download map)
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PLANTING FOR POLLINATORS IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
Honey bees and other pollinators are faced with many challenges these days - mites, viruses, diseases, and nutritional issues are stressing out our pollinators. Amid changes in climate conditions, beekeepers and gardeners need to start thinking about resilient gardening - gardens that provide a diverse food supply that will meet the nutritional needs of honey bees and other pollinators in spite of heat, drought, excessive rainfall, and unpredictability in the weather. Planting gardens that will provide the maximum amount of food to multiple species - from honey bees to butterflies to birds to humans - is going to be essential to ensure the survival of these creatures. We will talk about garden design principles, specific plants that we have found in our years of pollinator gardening, plants that will feed both our native pollinators and honey bees, and more.
Guest Speaker: Ed SzymanskiPresident, Massachusetts Beekeepers Assoc.
Ed and Maria Szymanski are homesteaders and 16 year beekeepers. They live on just over one acre of land in Franklin, Mass. on a lot planted with fruits, vegetables and flowers, almost totally devoid of grass. The homestead includes bees and chickens, and a wide variety of fruits, berries, vegetables and pollinator-specific gardens.
Their focus has been on identifying plants that provide quality food to bees and other pollinators and incorporating them into the homestead landscape. They are both members of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association.
Ed currently serves as President of Mass. Beekeepers Association and is a Cornell certified Master Beekeeper; Marian serves as Chair of the Franklin Agricultural Commission.
Bristol County Beekeepers Association, Inc. is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. P.O. Box 286, North Dighton, MA 02764
Bristol County Beekeepers Association