Leafcutters are part of the third largest bee family, Megachilidae, along with the “super pollinators” of fruit trees, mason bees. Photo by Bob Lalonde.
Pollinator Picnic provides details about nectar trail and art projects
What: Pollinator Picnic
Who: UBC researchers, Border Free Bees project, Kelowna Bee Ambassador participants
When: Saturday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Brent’s Grist Mill Park, 2136 Leckie Place, Kelowna
There is plenty of buzz around Kelowna’s bee ambassador program as more than 250 Kelowna residents have planted bee-friendly gardens this spring.
They join an additional 100 families, schools and businesses who registered last year, bringing the program’s numbers up to 350 bee-friendly gardens in the community, says UBC Professor Nancy Holmes.
“These amazing citizens, gardeners and bee lovers are leading the way to preserving pollinator habitats and conserving our essential insects,” says Holmes. “We invite them to attend, to meet each other and to be celebrated at a fun, casual event at Kelowna’s Public Art Pollinator Pasture.”
Holmes, who teaches in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, is part of the Border Free Bees research project. The initiative, between UBC and Emily Carr University of Art and Design, is a public art enterprise with the goal of raising awareness of the plight of wild pollinators, empowering communities to find solutions for habitat loss and to transform under-utilized urban sites into esthetically pleasing and scientifically viable pollinator pastures.
The Brent’s Grist Mill Heritage Park is one such place, and is now Kelowna’s Public Art Pollinator Pasture. The Pollinator Picnic takes place at the Grist Mill, and the public is welcome to bring a lunch, a blanket and drop in between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. There will be music, art activities and games. Participants can also pick up a package of bee-friendly seeds for planting this fall.
Brent’s Grist Mill Park is located at 2136 Leckie Place. People with mobility issues can park on site, while others can park along Leckie.
The Bee Ambassadors program is funded in part by a Go Wild Community Grant through the World Wildlife Fund Canada and Border Free Bees.
For information, contact Nancy Holmes at nancy.holmes@ubc.ca or visit borderfreebees.com.
About UBC’s Okanagan campus
UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.
