RAYMOND – The importance of preserving the world honeybee population and how to make an attractive garden for them will highlight a pollinator workshop 12:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in Reeves Hall, Room 165 on the Raymond Campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Jeff Harris, a research professor and entomologist at Mississippi State University, will keynote the event, sponsored by the Honors Institute at Hinds and the Gamma Lambda Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Harris is a bee specialist and is actively involved in the Mississippi Beekeepers Association.
Jeff Harris
A program on making a bee-friendly garden will follow at 1:30 p.m., moderated by Martha Hill, director of Hinds’ Landscape Management Technology program. Four metro-area beekeepers, Harold Watson, John Hackney, Matthew Giammalvo and Richard Wakefield, will hold a panel discussion at 2:30 p.m. to close out the program. Also, beekeepers are encouraged to display and sell their products as part of the event. The conference is expected to conclude at 3:30 p.m.
Martha Hill
The workshop is part of this year’s Honors in Action Project, which encourages students to take community action in response to a topic of global interest.
Students in the program have been researching the importance of agricultural pollinators such as honeybees and environmental challenges they have faced in the 21st century. Honeybee populations have decreased significantly in recent years, and because bees are integral pollinators worldwide, many scientists see a need for protecting bee habitats and protecting them from manmade threats, such as certain insecticides. Hinds is happy to offer this workshop to increase awareness of pollinator issues in the community.
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