S8. Honeybees and Beekeeping

This course meets 4 times.

Most people are aware of and concerned about the future survival of honeybees and other pollinators.

This course will focus on honeybees and begin with the history of honey hunting/beekeeping.  We’ll look at current beekeeping practices by comparing the different types of hives currently in use.

We’ll take a deeper dive into the hive to learn about who lives there and honeybee social structure, life cycles and communication.  We’ll examine some of the theories of why honeybees are in danger and look at some ways that all of us can help honeybees and other pollinators survive.

Anne Lenault has been interested in honeybees since she was a young adult, which inspired her to acquire her first hive when she was 23. This first journey lasted about 10 years.  She returned to Beekeeping 11 years ago and in that time, her interest has grown from simply keeping hives to studying current scientific research and attending national bee conferences.

She has most recently served as the Vice President for Worcester County Beekeepers Association, the largest and oldest county beekeeping club in the country. She is currently the Director of their beekeeping school, which serves 250-300 students each year in an 8-week beekeeping class. She continues learning and enrolled in a Master Beekeeper program at the University of Montana earning her Master Beekeeper Certification in 2022