Our Whitefriars page has been updated with some nice photos of our “meet the public” Bee Day held in June. If you have any other photos, they can easily be added to the gallery – just contact Adrian.
We still have spaces for more apiaries to visit by Michael Cooper on the Bee tour on Sunday 1st July.
Everyone who took part last year enjoyed it and thought it was worthwhile – Michael is a very helpful Seasonal Bee Inspector, so do come forward. We would especially like to see new beekeepers and those who have not been visited by Michael this year.
If we follow last year’s pattern we will visit three in the morning have a break for lunch where people can join or leave the tour and then three in the afternoon. There is no need to lay on anything more than a drink, although at the lunch and last visit it is nice for people to bring a shared lunch or tea.
Please contact Julian Audsley ASAP if you would like to take advantage of Michael’s tour.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the media event and release of Bombus subterraneus (short-haired bumblebee) at Dungeness, to represent CBKA on 28th May. Many of you will have seen Dr Nikki Gammans talking about this at our meeting in March. The morning was very impressively organised, with lots of media and visitors. I can’t do better than point you at the interview that Nikki did with the BBC (here), but I managed to take a couple of pictures of two of the 51 bees released, one in its container, and another resting on a flag iris, after taking to the wing.
Adrian
Our next branch meeting is on 7th March, and we are pleased to welcome Dr Nikki Gammans, Project Officer from the British Bumblebee Conservation Trust. She will be giving a talk on the short-haired bumblebee reintroduction project near Dungeness.
Whitefriars Conference Room, Canterbury, 7.30-9.30pm. As has become usual, parking will be free in the multi-storey car park so collect your ticket as normal and this will be processed during the meeting. Park on the 1st floor on the left and take the corridor down to the management suite at the bottom of the corridor on the left.
By car Set Sat Nav post code to CT1 2TF