Garden for the Environment: Beginning Beekeeping: The Basics and Mid-Season Colony Health

So you’re thinking of becoming a beekeeper? This workshop is an introduction to bees and beekeeping practices whether you’re starting a backyard hive or are just curious about bees. We’ll cover some basics on bees, their progress through spring and summer, and what to expect as colonies expand in the warmer, longer days. There will be a class outline, suggested reading, and additional recommendations provided. If weather permits, students will see the hives close-up. Protective clothing will be provided.

The class is designed for absolute beginners so no prerequisite knowledge is required. We will have more beginning beekeeping classes this year, and each will emphasize what is happening in a beehive throughout the seasons. Keep checking our workshop schedule for more beekeeping workshops!

Instructors:

Marc Johnson and Pilar Leano completed GFE’s Get Up! (Gardening and Composting Educator Program) in 2010 and have volunteered at the garden ever since. They first put hives at GFE in early 2015 and manage about a dozen hives, mostly in Western San Francisco. Marc is on the board of the SF Beekeepers Association and volunteers his time and energy to promote urban beekeeping.

Paul Koski’s interest in honeybees, and insects in general, began as a graduate student when he studied entomology at San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley. He taught high school biology and science classes in San Francisco for many years. After retiring in 2008 he was able to spend more time with honeybees and beekeeping. Paul has tended honeybee hives in San Francisco for more than 20 years and has taught many beekeeping classes for the Garden for the Environment, San Francisco Beekeepers Association, community gardens, and other groups.

Mark Carlson served in El Salvador in the Peace Corps from 2005 to 2007. During that time, he kept bees as part of his community agriculture extension work. In 2019, he graduated with the inaugural class of the California Master Beekeeper Program. He is the co-chair and “honey guru” for the Good Food Awards and has been a mead maker for many years. He works and keeps bees in the Bayview.

COVID-19 information:

GFE Mask Guidelines: Masks are optional for vaccinated visitors (workshop participants, volunteers, students etc.) and required for unvaccinated individuals. Our staff is fully vaccinated and boosted. Thank you for continuing to keep the garden a safe and open space for everyone!
Please cancel your shift and do not come to GFE if you develop COVID19 symptoms on or before the day of your workshop (fever, chills, repeated shaking / shivering, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, feeling unusually weak or fatigued, new loss of taste or smell, muscle pain, headache, runny or congested nose, or diarrhea)
GFE will continue to monitor the COVID19 situation in San Francisco and make any necessary changes to the workshop based on current information.

No walk-up registration permitted for this course.