8th Annual Bee Forum: The Art of Beekeeping, The Science of Bees

8th Annual Bee Forum: The Art of Beekeeping, The Science of Bees

Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance hosts an annual Bee Forum to join local beekeepers and beekeeping experts to discuss relevant topics in the world of beekeeping, in addition to building community with Chicagoland beekeepers. This year’s theme is “The art of beekeeping, the science of bees”. We have three experts lined up who will present on various aspects around the central theme. To help build community and keep the conversation going, we have a shared potluck lunch.

Tentative Schedule: 
10:00 am – 10:30 am; Registration and light breakfast
10:30 am – 10:45 am; Welcome & opening remarks
10:45 am – 12:00 pm; Morning presentation
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm; Community Potluck Lunch – bring a dish to share
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm; Afternoon presentations
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm; Panel discussion and closing

Presenter Bio’s:

Dr. Meghan Milbrath, owns and manages Sand Hill Apiaries at Bending Sickle Community Farm, a small livestock and queen rearing operation in Munith, Michigan. She began working bees with her father as a child over 20 years ago, and has been hooked on bees since. She is the coordinator of the Michigan Pollinator Initiative at Michigan State University, where she also recently worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Entomology Department, studying honey bee disease with Zachary Huang. Meghan teaches multiple beekeeping classes; has taught queen rearing courses at Michigan State University; and runs clinics and beekeeping consulting through her apiary. Meghan has been an invited speaker to many academic and beekeeper events ranging from regional apicultural meetings and national conferences to small discussion groups on bees at local libraries. She is an active member in the South East Michigan Beekeeping Association, the Center of Michigan Beekeeping Association, is the district 2 representative for the Michigan Beekeeping Association, is the acting president of the Ann Arbor Backyard Beekeepers and the coordinator of the Northern Bee Network, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable beekeeping in northern climates.

Sainath Suryanarayanan – Assistant Scientist of Biology & Society: Morgridge Institute for Research at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His recent book, Vanishing Bees: Science, Politics, and Honeybee Health, takes us inside the debates over widespread honeybee deaths, introducing the various groups with a stake in solving the mystery of CCD, including beekeepers, entomologists, growers, agrichemical companies, and government regulators. Drawing from extensive interviews and first-hand observations, Sainath Suryanarayanan and Daniel Lee Kleinman examine how members of each group have acquired, disseminated, and evaluated knowledge about CCD. In addition, they explore the often-contentious interactions among different groups, detailing how they assert authority, gain trust, and build alliances.