Community Outreach and Presentations

One of Brown County Beekeepers Association missions is community education. Our Outreach program is designed as an educational program to teach all ages (5 and up) about the fascinating world of honeybees and the crucial role they play in pollination. Our aim to raise awareness of honeybees, which includes why bees are considered SUPER ORGANISMS.

Broadly we cover: bee vs wasp, introduction to the honeybee, their anatomy and lifecycle, communication, behavior, hive structure, social networks, pollination and our ecosystem. Importantly, we also cover the challenges honeybees, as well as all pollinators, are facing today and how you can help.

Presentations are tailored to meet the age and needs of the audience.

Important note: An overview of beekeeping is available but these presentations are not about “how to be a beekeeper”. A full day class entitled “Introduction to Beekeeping” is offered annually, generally in January. Also, if you are interested in learning about native bees as well as honeybees, please let Julie know – otherwise, these presentations are geared toward honeybees.

For presentations, please contact our OUTREACH CHAIRS: Julie Mazzoleni and Bob Michiels at: OUTREACH4BCBA@Gmail.com. E-mail is the preferred method of contact.

Alternately, you can reach Julie at 312-402-1059 (Green Bay) or Bob at 920-660-3577.

We serve Northeast Wisconsin with most of the instructors being located in Green Bay, WI.

Just a few of the presentations we are prepared to present

The Honeybee and You – in this presentation you’ll learn about the highly social honey bee. We’ll discuss how they live and communicate. You’ll learn about their overall life cycle and why honey bees are considered “super organisms” We also touch on the challenges faced by honeybees and all pollinators today and what you can do to help. The presentation is oriented towards adults.

So You Think You Want to Be a Beekeeper?– learn the basics involved in keeping bees, the equipment required, space needs, costs, and benefits. This presentation does NOT teach how to be a beekeeper. The presentation is oriented towards adults.

Honeybees Can Bee Fun – this child oriented presentation is full of interesting and exciting facts about the magical world of honey bees. We will introduce kids to honey bees “super powers” as we delve into how they communicate and complex social structures. We touch what kids can adults alike, can do to help honey bees, and all pollinators, thrive in our yards and gardens today. This is an age appropriate learning exercises for kids of all ages. It is designed to be interactive and can be presented in the classroom or outside.

Honey Bees, Aren’t the Only Pollinators! – Honeybees and all types of pollinators and their value to our food production is covered. Emphasis is placed on the challenges facing pollinators as a whole, and what individuals can do to help ensure the survival of these important creatures.

Honey Bees, Native Bees and Other Pollinators – alongside learning about the amazing life of the honey bee, we also introduce the many different species of native bees we see in our Wisconsin gardens. We discuss who they are, how they forage, where they live and the critical role they play in our ecosystem. You’ll learn about their various different social structures and nesting behavior compared to the honey bee. We also touch on why honey bees and our native bees are struggling and present strategies on how to help them thrive in our yards and gardens. This presentation can be adult or kid oriented and focuses not only on the honey bee but other bees we may not recognize in our gardens i.e. plump bumble bees, shinny blue mason bees, tiny green sweat bees and many others.

In the past we have presented to: