Clearwater County wants you to join them for a pollinator and bumble bee workshop hosted by Charity Briere.

Officials say, in this workshop, participants will put together a pollinator-friendly hanging basket in the morning and have the option to build a bumble bee box in the afternoon following lunch.

Charity Briere is said to be a friend to all bugs and loves to share her understanding of the significance and importance of native bee conservation in central Alberta through partnerships with scientists, non-profit groups, and community organizations of all kinds by providing workshops on native bee biology and behavior.

In the morning workshop, officials add, Charity is expected to share information on native bee lifecycles & habits and give residents ideas on how you can welcome them into your gardens and enjoy watching them go about their business. The best part: all we have to do is provide the spaces and they’ll take care of themselves! With some hands-on demonstrations of domicile types, best management practices on available options, and examples of the kinds of wild bees that share our landscape, you’re anticipated to come away all abuzz about bees.

The afternoon workshop will focus specifically on our big buzzy neighbours, the bumble bees. A deeper dive into bumble bee lifecycles and nests will be followed with a hands-on project: building a bumble bee house to take home. You’ll be able to keep the plans and other information on how you can contribute to citizen science in central Alberta: we have 19-25 species of bumble bees in our area and there is a LOT we have yet to learn about their preferences.

DATE: April 30, 2022

Where: West Country Greenhouses (click here for map link)

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Tickets for the hanging basket and lunch will be $50 each with an optional add on of a $15 ticket for the bee box making.

To register, contact the Agriculture & Community Services department by calling 403-846-4040 or emailing landcare@clearwatercounty.ca.