Education
Training new beekeepers, supporting existing beekeepers, and educating consumers about bees.
SAVE the BEE is promoting and supporting education for beekeepers in best management practices and encouraging consumers and gardeners to take action for pollinators.
Educating Master Beekeepers
The Oregon Master Beekeeper Program represents a cooperative effort between Oregon State University and the Oregon State Beekeepers Association to contribute to both the health of honey bee colonies and the integrity of the practice of beekeeping throughout the region.
The primary objectives of the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program are to:
- Increase public awareness of honey bees and beekeeping
- Provide ongoing education, training, and hands-on experience for beekeepers at all levels
- Support best-management practices and consistency in beekeeping practices
- Encourage mentorship, and membership in state and local beekeeper associations
Participating beekeepers gain experience at three successive levels: Apprentice, Journey, and Master. Each level provides opportunities and support for additional learning, practice in the field, and community service. SAVE the BEE provides scholarships to those who cannot afford the program fees.
Educating home gardeners
The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides is helping home gardeners create healthy habitat for bees and other beneficial insects.
NCAP offers videos and print resources on how to create healthy pollinator habitat while managing weeds and pests without using chemicals that harm bees. Their Shop Neonic-Free Nurseries project provides consumers with a list of Pacific Northwest plant nurseries, retailers and wholesalers that sell ornamental flowers and shrubs that have not been treated with neonicotinoids. “Neonics” are a newer class of pesticides that are particularly toxic to bees and have been identified as a major factor in pollinator declines. The systemic and persistent nature of these chemicals cause them to remain in the soil and be taken up by plants long after spraying has occurred.
