This class is presented by Guild member Emily Bondor through Cabrillo Extension. It is a 4-Saturday course starting on 9 April 2016. Course hours are from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM each Saturday.

Whether you are interested in learning sustainable backyard beekeeping practices, or just want a better understanding of how these delicate, intricate creatures benefit us and our planet, you will leave this class a-buzz with new energy! Over the course of the class we will cover hive structure, colony dynamics and delve into basic honeybee biology. We will discuss the history of beekeeping, from honey production to pollination contracts, and discuss current trends (and rifts) in colony management practices. Weather permitting we will take a field trip to Emily’s Apiary in Santa Cruz for a real-life “hive dive”. By the end of the course, students who are interested in obtaining their own hive will have a good working understanding of equipment, tools, management practices and bee biology, and how we can work together to support these very vital pollinators.

This class is appropriate for adults with little to no experience in keeping bees.

4 Sat., April 9 – 30
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Room: 707
Register by Feb. 29: $68
Register after Feb. 29: $72

Emily Bondor is a bay area Beekeeper and Educator. Her expertise is in promoting responsible honeybee genetics and breeding queens from locally adapted genetic stock. She works in Napa Valley managing bee-hives and is currently pursuing Master Beekeeping Classes through the Honeybee Lab at UC Davis.