The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association

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Our effort to establish an endowed professorship has enjoyed remarkable success

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The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association Distinguished Professor in Apiculture is becoming quite the story in the world of beekeeping; as if to secure funding for the new apiculture research facility was not enough of an accomplishment! One year ago we had $283,000 in pledges and contributions for the endowment and needed an additional $384,000. Now the fund has over $590,000 and less than $77,000 is needed. Once we raise $667,000, the University will add enough to make the fund $1,000,000.

As a fellow beekeeper and President of the NCSBA, I am reaching out to you, one of the 5,000 strong community of NCSBA beekeepers to ask for a contribution of any size when you renew your membership for 2024.  Mathematically speaking, a contribution of $15.40 from each of the 5,000 members would finish the deal. But realistically speaking, if half of the members were to make a small (or larger!) contribution we would be that much closer to our goal. The ground breaking ceremony for the new apiculture facility is scheduled for July of 2024. Please help the NCSBA reach the goal to have the endowment funded by then.

The results of our effort will be noteworthy.

Sincerely,

Rick Coor, NCSBA President

NCSBA 2023 Honey Show Workshop

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The North Carolina State Beekeeping Association is sponsoring a honey show training class to be held at Beez Needz in Sophia. The purpose of this class is to help participants to prepare entries for a honey show. This is not training to be a judge. Those courses will be offered at separate times and locations.

This is a value-added class for NCSBA members and is being underwritten by the NCSBA and Beez Needz. The class cost is to help defray the expenses for bringing in the class instructors and judges.

Participants will learn how to prepare honey, beeswax, food items, arts and crafts and more for a judged honey show. Participants are encouraged to bring one item to be judged. You will receive a comment card to help you improve your entry for the next show. The rules for the class show are available here.

Class: Honey Show Preparation Training
Who: Current NCSBA members
Where: Beez Needz, 362 Edgar Road, Sophia, NC 27350
When: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Time: Entries for class show will be received from 8-9 AM. The class will run from 9-12. Judging will take place during the class. Lunch will be approximately noon. Results of the class show will be following lunch: about 1:00 PM. The class is expected to conclude around 2 PM.
Cost: $10 If paying with cash or check. $11 if paying with card.

Learn More and Register


Morning snacks and lunch provided. If you have a special dietary need, please inform Beez Needz when you register.
For more information please contact the show secretary: Mark Case at markcase@aol.com  or text at 336-963-4756. Include your name and your question when you contact Mark.

Welsh Honey Judge Training Workshop

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Honey Judge Training

Ever thought about becoming a honey show judge? How to prepare items for entry into a honey show? We have just the class for you!

The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association and the faculty of the American Honey Show Training Council will be offering the Introductory Training for the Welsh Honey Judge program on March 9, 2023, at the Union County Extension Office in Monroe, NC! The training will be held on the Thursday immediately prior to the NCSBA Spring Conference, and it will be an all-day affair. Program curriculum and requirements will be identical to those posted on the Young Harris-UGA Beekeeping Institute website.

Cost: $75
Time: 8:30am-4:00pm, attendees should plan to arrive at 8:00am
Location: New upper auditorium on cooperative extension grounds

The class includes: An all day training/instruction with senior honey judges and honey show experts, thumb drive with all reference materials, white honey steward/judge smock lab coat, certificate of completion of level I training in the Welsh Honey Judge Program, and lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is required for this event.

GETTING BACK TO NORMAL – SILENT AUCTIONS ARE BACK!

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“ANYTHING GOES” will be our theme for the silent auction at the NCSBA state conference on March 10-11, 2023, in Monroe, NC. The Chatham County Beekeepers have taken on the task of organizing auctions next year. We challenge every association to donate a few treasures. No worries if you are not attending but would like to donate. Regional directors, our state inspectors, or a member from your association that is attending the conference can collect items for the auction.

We have not had a silent auction in a few years. For those who have not participated in one, the following explanation should help you understand the procedure. First, donate items for the auction. Each item will be accompanied by a bidding sheet that will include the item information, value of gift, minimum/opening bid, and what dollar amount for increased bids. For example, an item valued at $35.00 could have an opening bid of $15.00 with $2.00 increments (next bid is $17.00). The bidding deadline is the end of the morning break on Saturday, March 11th. Top bidders can pay for and collect items at lunchtime on March 11th.

We all love our “bee stuff” but please consider donating those birthday or Christmas gifts that don’t fit your style to ANYTHING GOES Silent Auction. Items that are typically found at our auctions include hive equipment and tools, products of the hive, bee plants, bee jewelry, photography or art work, books, decorated hive bodies, pottery, mead, wine, and more. You get the idea!

Please help by contributing to our silent auction. More information will follow when the conference schedule is finalized.

If anybody has questions, please email Pat Weisbrodt, beegalpat@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Notice of vote to amend the Constitution and Bylaws

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In December of 2017, the Board of Directors discussed the fact that the Constitution and Bylaws were not in compliance the North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act and Robert’s Rules of Order. The Board adopted a resolution to have an attorney examine the Constitution/Bylaws and determine what sections, if any, violated nonprofit law.

In May of 2018, the Association retained an attorney, Jon Carr, a partner with the Raleigh law firm of JordanPrice. Jon Carr advised the Association on several points including:

  1. The preferred practice of an organized society today which is to combine the Constitution and Bylaws into a single document named the Bylaws.
  2. The need to streamline and simply our Bylaws in order to make their intent and direction more clear.
  3. The electronic process policy necessary in order to conduct business and to serve proper notice to the membership in order to be able to amend the Constitution and Bylaws.
  4. An attendance policy to govern the Board of Directors.

In regards to compliance with the North Carolina Nonprofit Act, Jon Carr advised that the following provisions of the Const/Bylaws were not consistent with the NC Statutes.

  1. The Board of Directors, not the President, must appoint Committees and Chairpersons.
  2. The Board of Directors, not the President, must appoint any vacant office.
  3. The quorum is defined by law as 10% of the votes entitled to be cast.
  4. The approval of the Board is required to amend the Articles or the Constitution/Bylaws.

In July of 2018, the board began to act on the attorney’s advice and adopted resolutions including:

  1. A motion to amend the Constitution and Bylaws to align with the NC Nonprofit Corporation Act pending approval of the membership.
  2. A motion to amend the Constitution/Bylaws to affect an attendance policy as recommended by Jon Carr, pending approval by the Executive Committee.

In November of 2018, the Board approved a resolution to adopt the Electronic Process Policy written by the attorney Jon Carr.

In March of 2019, the Board approved resolutions to amend the Constitution and Bylaws which the membership approved in August of 2019. The amendments changed the calendar date for terms of officers, reduced the term length for the Membership Secretary and Treasurer, and changed the role of the NC State Extension Apiculturist

In July of 2020, the Board approved resolutions to amend to the Constitution and Bylaws which the membership approved in August of 2020. The amendments removed from the Constitution/Bylaws the Commercial Membership, Honey Bee Queen, Calendar, and the Discipline Policy. The Articles of Incorporation were corrected to reflect the correct tax filing structure of the Association.

The following documents are available for reference.

  1. Notice of vote to amend the Constitution and Bylaws and summary of changes
  2. The existing Constitution
  3. The existing Bylaws
  4. The document entitled “PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, INC.”
  5. A red text strikethrough version of the document showing the proposed changes to the existing Constitution and Bylaws.

The notification and ballot will be mailed or emailed to the active members of the association no later than 7/28/2021. Mailed responses must be postmarked no later than 8/27/2021. Electronic submissions must be submitted no later than 8/27/2021. 

Master Beekeeper Testing – June 26 and July 24, 2021

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MBP Testing for Journeyman and Master levels will be held June 26, 2021. Only written tests will be offered at this time. Pre-registration is mandatory. Limited space available. Email mbp@ncbeekeepers.org to start the registration process and to receive additional details. CDC guidelines will be followed. All registrants must sign a “Waiver of Liability”. Registration will close June 11, 2021.

Additional MBP advanced level testing is now open for registration. The new date is July 24, 2021 and will be held at Alamance County Center in Burlington, NC. Both written and practical exams will be offered. Pre-registration is mandatory. Limited space available. Email mbp@ncbeekeepers.org to start the registration process and to receive additional details. Face coverings will be required and social distancing protocols will be followed. All registrants must sign a “Waiver of Liability”. Registration will close Friday, July 9, 2021.

NCSBA Spring 2021 Web Series

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Dear Members of NCSBA,
I hope this message finds you in good health and we hope for the continued well being of yourself, family/loved ones, & friends. The Covid-19 era has hit us all hard & we are all looking forward to when we can all gather in fellowship with other beekeepers once again.  We understand that many may be discouraged or frustrated that we weren’t able to host our usual summer conference and also have had to likewise cancel our regularly scheduled Spring conference this year in New Bern.  We want you to know we share your frustrations but that we have put the wellbeing of all our members health concerns first.  Much of our membership is an older/most at risk demographic and we could not in good faith or legally hold a large group conference like we normally do.  Even though we haven’t been having conferences your executive committee& board of directors have been meeting to find ways to move our group forward for you our members.  It is in this spirit that we have decided to give back to our membership, for the good of the hive! We will be hosting a weekly web-series beginning in mid-March, hosting notable speakers from the honeybee world to present to our NCSBA membership at the steep price of on-the-house.  We hope that you will join us and take advantage of the great speakers we have lined up for you.  You will find below the dates, speakers, topics, and short bio on the speakers. We are hopeful that by summer there may be a possibility of an in-person conference but it is too early to say for certainty.  Be on the look out for more information on how to access the presentations from 1st VP Frederick Proni and message from the President Doug Vinson regarding any other details for NCSBA, conferences, & NCSBA programs for 2021.

Sincerely, Burton Beasley

2nd VP of NCSBA

Upcoming Webinars

(Access information will be provided closer to the event date)

March 18th, 2021: 7pm-9pm ET
Sam Comfort: Anarchy Apiaries
Topic: The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly: recent efforts to simplify a complex bee world

Sam ComfortAfter winning 6 hives in a poker game, Sam Comfort worked for several years in commercial beekeeping across America.  He started Anarchy Apiaries in 2005 to explore permaculture ideas of low input natural cycles.  He breeds queen from hardy survivors, experiments with splitting techniques, and messes around with hive designs.  So the mission is to 1) make more beehives than there are televisions, and 2) have a good time, all the time (with bees).  Anarchy Apiaries runs around 1000 hives that split seasonally into around 2000 mating nucs with no treatments, minimal feeding, and do-it-yourself hive boxes in New York and Florida and spots in between.  Through teaching independent, biological beekeeping, he hopes to make it more affordable, approachable, and enjoyable; thus, bring the means of production back to the beekeeper.

@anarchyapiaries
www.anarchyapiaries.org

March 25th, 2021: 5:30-7:15pm ET
Dr. Margaret J. Couvillon, Assistant Prof. of Pollinator Biology & Ecology
Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech
Topic: Dancing bees bio-indicate landscape profitability for pollinators

Dr. Margaret J. CouvillonDr. Margaret J. Couvillon is a broadly trained bee researcher with a particular interest in the foraging and recruitment behaviors of the honey bee. I earned my undergraduate degree from Loyola University in New Orleans (B.S. in Biology, minor in Chemistry) and then spent a year as an AmeriCorps *NCCC volunteer. I completed a M.S. in Neurobiology at Duke University before moving overseas for my Ph.D. with Professor Francis Ratnieks at the University of Sheffield, where I investigated mechanisms of nestmate recognition in honey bees and stingless bees. As a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Anna Dornhaus at the University of Arizona, I investigated proximate and ultimate explanations for worker size variation in the bumble bee Bombus impatiens. For a second postdoc, I rejoined the lab of Francis Ratnieks, now at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. There I worked to develop the honey bee, in particular its waggle dance communication, as a bioindicator for the “health” of the British landscape.

April 1st, 2021 7:00-9:00pm ET
Mike Palmer: French Hill Apiairies
Topic: A Year at French Hill Apiaries – An overview of the management that goes into a commercial apiary

Mike PalmerMike Palmer bought his first two packages of bees from FW Jones Company of Quebec in 1974. They cost $10.50 delivered. Neither colony made it through the first winter, but he kept trying and built up to 200 hives by 1981.

In 1982, Mike got a job managing the bees owned by Chazy Orchards in Chazy, New York and did so until 1986. Then he convinced Chazy to sell their bees to him, so at that time, he had more than 600 colonies.

Mike began raising his own queens in 1998 and has been doing so ever since. Today, Mike raises about 1200 queens and manages over 1000 colonies, with some 600-700 production colonies, and hundreds of nucleus colonies.

He has lectured on his methods of beekeeping all over the world

**April 8th, 2021: We are currently working on the possibility of hosting a 4th speaker**

Spring 2020 Message from the NCSBA President

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Beekeeping season is about to be in full swing and the Beekeepers of the NCSBA are getting excited! We are hearing reports that the honey flow already on for some of our members in the southern counties. The swarm lists are starting to get active so if you haven’t already got your supers dusted off – get ready!

Spring Meeting Notes

New Bern Convention Center

The 2020 Spring meeting in New Bern was a success. We had over 550 attendees and most of the feedback so far has been very positive. Look for information about the Summer meeting in the coming months.

BEES Academy Enrollment Extended

I know that some bee schools have been cancelled or postponed. To help beekeepers affected by this or for those that didn’t have a chance to enroll in a bee school, the NCSU apiculture program has extended enrollment for its online BEES Academy until March 25. Although the class has already started, there is plenty of time to catch up. Dr. Tarpy will be also be adding an additional Q&A session for those students beginning now. This is a great opportunity for some beekeeping training with NSCU’s Dr. Tarpy from the comfort of your home.
Learn More

Queen rearing Workshop

The Born and Bred Queen rearing Workshop is filling up fast. We announced it at the Spring meeting and as of this writing there are less than 40 spots left. It will be held in Pittsboro on May 9th. If you are considering attending, I would encourage you to register soon.

Check Your Mite Levels

Finally, I encourage you to monitor your mites if you aren’t already. I have heard from quite a few people that their mites numbers are higher than expected. The mild winter may have played a part in that.There is a good article available by NCSBA Master Beekeeper Randall Austin about the importance of monitoring mites.

Here’s to wishing you a happy, safe, and successful Spring!  

Take care,  

Paul Newbold President, NCSBA

Queen Rearing Workshop for May 9 Announced

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The NCSBA is offering a program of advanced beekeeper education in the field of queen rearing and colony management. The Born and Bred queen rearing workshops will be conducted with a curriculum of such substance that participants can effectively learn how to raise queens with the information presented and a degree of diligence on their part. Beekeepers of all levels will be able to gain an understanding of queen production that is controlled by the beekeeper and how environmental factors affect the behavior of the honey bee during queen production.

The daylong course will be offered in Pittsboro, NC on May 9, 2020. The cost is $75.00 per participant. Enrollment is limited and you must be an active member of the NCSBA in order to participate.

Register Now

You can find detailed information on Born and Bred page of our website.

Regards,  

Etienne Nadeau
NCSBA Born and Bred Program

Ed Speer Named New Certified Honey Producer Program Chair

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As chairman of this year’s NCSBA Certified Honey Producers Program (CHPP), I am excited and looking forward to being a part of such a worthy effort. I would like to thank Kenny Jones, the past chairman, for his pioneering efforts getting this great program up and running. All the best Kenny as you move on to greater things.
As a honey-producer myself, and long-time resident of the state, I envision this program as promoting the unique goodness of our local honeys, while also expanding our markets to new customers. Now could not be a better time for a program like CHPP. I hear many of my own customers lament the poor and often suspect honey choices available to them at the large retail stores and even at some farmers markets and roadside stands. But when they see the NCSBA CHPP stickers on my jars of honey, they find the assurance they are looking for: that they are buying real local honey from a trusted beekeeper certified by an established state-level organization.
I hope every NCSBA member who produces honey in North Carolina will consider joining the CHPP. An application form with membership requirements can be found on the NCSBA website. The $25 fee gets you a two-year membership. Once approved, you will receive a certificate, a Discover the Goodness license plate, an informative location pin on an interactive online map, and a sample of stickers to put on your honey jars—all included in your membership fee. Members can order more stickers when needed. Two-year renewal memberships are also $25.  
Only members of CHPP can use the certified stickers and/or get on the honey producers map; so join today!
Become an NCSBA Certified Honey Producer

Ed Speer

2020 Chairman NCSBA CHPP

Spring BEES Classes announced

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This spring, the NCSU Apiculture Program will be holding TWO different beekeeping trainings, one for beginners and one for intermediate beekeepers. 
 

Beginner online BEES school

Perfect for wanna-be beekeepers who couldn’t make their local bee school!

 
WHEN: March 4-25th
WHERE: Online Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (BEES)
HOW: Students will enroll in the ‘Beginner’ level BEES courses and learn the online content on their own time and at their own pace. Each Wednesday evening, we will hold virtual “office hours” with Dr. David Tarpy to discuss what you have learned and answer any lingering questions. An optional in-hive field day will be offered at the NCSU Lake Wheeler Honey Bee Research Facility in Raleigh on March 28th (rain date April 4). 
INFO: https://www.ncsuapiculture.net/online-beginner-bees-school

 

Intermediate BEES Academy

Great way to prepare for the MBP Journeyman exam!

 

WHEN: March 3-4th
WHERE: Craven County Extension Center, 300 Industrial Dr, New Bern, NC 28562
HOW: Two full days to immerse yourself in the theoretical and practical aspects of beekeeping. Mixture of both live and pre-taped videos from the Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (BEES) as well as hands-on activities. Numerous members of the NC State Apiculture Program will help you build upon your current knowledge of beekeeping by exploring a wide variety of topics. 
INFO: https://www.ncsuapiculture.net/bees-academy-home

2020 Spring Meeting Speakers Announced

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The spring meeting in New Bern will offer us a unique opportunity to hear what speakers have to say about the world of apiculture.  Dr. Judy Wu-Smart joins us from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  Judy is well known in the industry and speaks on various topics including the effects of pesticides, hive health, and pollinators in general.  She is a force in beekeeping education and has worked with all the pillars of the beekeeping community.  For our traditionalists, we will have the America’s beekeeping professor, Dr. Dewey Caron.  Dewey has been working with bees, education, and research for over 50 years and is the author of “Beekeeping Biology” – a book all those working toward their master beekeeping certification will recognize.  Dewey will main-stage speak, offer a workshop, be available to sign and personalize his book, and discuss bees with you in person.  We will also have Leigh Kathryn Bonner, who founded Bee Downtown in an effort to save the dwindling honeybee population and simultaneously provided corporations with a novel approach to sustainability. Her focus is to install and maintain beehives on corporate campuses, and she works with companies such as Delta Airlines, Chick-Fil-A, and IBM. Our event will include updates from our state Apiary Inspectors, Dr. David Tarpy of NSCU, a full session on the NC Born & Bred Program, a variety of NCSBA updates and a plethora of other learning opportunities. 
Our workshops will host a variety of information and learning sessions.  We will be focused on our region and offer sessions on varroa mites and varroa mite treatments, bear fences, the business of bees, beekeeping husbandry, queen rearing, and many other interesting topics.  Finally, we are going to try something new – workshops from a distance where we will video conference in speakers live to teach and share vital information to help us keep our bees healthy!  Stay tuned, a complete schedule will be published very shortly!

With Kind Regards,

Frederick Proni

NC Bee Guide Available

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“Ceratina, Lasioglossum and Augochlora are out foraging with the honey bees on warm days in December and January,” say Elsa Youngsteadt and Hannah Levenson, co-authors of the just-published “Bees of North Carolina: An Identification Guide.”

As every NCSBA volunteer and presenter knows, NC Zoo Bee Exhibit visitors and 5th grade students expect beekeepers to know about all bees, not just honey bees.   This bee ID guide is available free at https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/the-bees-of-north-carolina-identification-guide.  

Paperbacks of the 57-page guide are available in January and may be pre-ordered at  https://go.ncsu.edu/beeidguide.  Order now to receive  40% off during their holiday special.  For a 25% discount on year-round orders of 5+ copies, use promotional code 01NCSU25. 

In NCSU’s Plant Ecology Department, Dr. Youngsteadt is Assistant Professor and Extension Urban Ecology Specialist.  Hannah Levenson is a Graduate Research Associate in Entomology and Plant Pathology.

UNCW Production “Keepers of the Bees” to be Screened During 2020 Spring Meeting

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You are invited to a special screening of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington production, “Keepers of the Bees”, at the 2020 Spring Conference in New Bern, March 5-7, 2020. 

In 2017, a group of UNCW students founded the UNCW Beekeeping Club. They’d been inspired by the passion of Dr. Anthony Snider, an associate professor in Environmental Studies. But they would ultimately find themselves on a journey to expand their environmental awareness, learn the biological and public intricacies of beekeeping, and follow in the footsteps of generations of beekeepers before them.

The emerging beekeepers soon discovered they would be joining a much larger community: Farmers, scientists, legislators and hobbyists in North Carolina who work together to ensure the honeybee population thrives. This is an ecosystem that affects the agriculture of our state and, ultimately, the food on our tables. The honey bee is one of the most important contributors to our environment, and their survival depends on beekeepers. What started as an interest in creating a club has evolved into a passion for cultivating and protecting a species — and a sense of duty to honor the sacred legacy of beekeeping.

Keepers of the Bees: Official Trailer 2019 from UNCW Ofc of Univ Relations on Vimeo.

NCSBA Golden Achievement Program (GAP) Updates

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Great news for GAP in 2020! 

All Chapters will be eligible to submit their Golden Achievement Program (GAP) book highlighting their Chapter’s activities and accomplishments from January 1 – December 31, 2020 to be recognized by the NCSBA as a “Golden Achievement Chapter”, regardless of whether they have previously been recognized or not. This is an opportunity for all Chapters who meet the GAP minimum requirements to be recognized and receive a $300 grant from the NCSBA. This is only for 2020, so Chapters, start planning for 2020 now to take advantage of this opportunity! The GAP Committee is hoping to receive a record number of GAP submissions. We would love to recognize and reward your Chapter for promoting and supporting NC beekeeping. 

Unfortunately, Chapters who received NCSBA GAP Chapter of the Year for 2020 (To be announced during the summer meeting), 2019 (Orange), and 2018 (Albermarle) are not eligible to participate.

Each year one NCSBA Chapter will be awarded the title of “Golden Achievement Chapter of the Year” and a $700 grant from the NCSBA to fund a service project of the Chapter’s choosing. 

Please contact GAP Committee co-chairs Elizabeth Towe (towe.elizabeth@yahoo.com) or Ray Maxwell (shelbybeek@gmail.com) with any questions. 

GAP Details and Forms

NCSU Arboretum to ‘reveal’ Air Bee & Bee at Moonlight in the Garden

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Final assembly of Air Bee & Bee at JC Raulston Arboretum – Courtesy Mark Weathington

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – For seven nights in November, the magical lighting exhibition Moonlight in the Garden returns to JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University. New to this year’s exhibition is the illumination and reveal of Air Bee & Bee, a five-star urban habitat for pollinators completed in August.

[Read more…] about NCSU Arboretum to ‘reveal’ Air Bee & Bee at Moonlight in the Garden