Hendersonville hosts Pollinator Month events

Press release:

Hendersonville Bee City USA Celebrates Pollinator Month in June 2017 Schedule of Events

(HENDERSONVILLE, NC, May 18, 2017) — Pollinator Month in June is a celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, and other species that help pollinate more than 1,200 crops. That means one out of every three bites of food you eat is there because of pollinators!  In  addition, about 90% of all wild plants and trees rely on pollinators for the survival of their species.  Because of this, pollinators also support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, and support other wildlife.  Learn more about why you need pollinators and how pollinators need you!
Hendersonville’s Pollinator Month events are coordinated by Hendersonville Bee City USA, a program of the City of Hendersonville Tree Board and Environmental Sustainability Board.  Participants can have fun, learn more, and get involved with bringing back the pollinators by joining in the variety of Pollinator Month activities in Hendersonville and the surrounding area.  Get great gardening tips, help remove invasive plants and restore native habitats, learn more about keeping honey bees, discover the fascinating world of plant-pollinator interactions, witness the miracle of butterfly metamorphosis, take a walk to observe native plants and pollinators in action, sip a beer while learning what beer has to do with butterflies, bring the kids out to play interactive pollinator games plus create cool crafts, and more!  A complete schedule of events is posted below and is available online at http://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/bee-city.  The latest Pollinator Week news is available by liking the Hendersonville Bee City USA page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/beecityhendersonville/.

Pollinator Programs and Events Throughout June 2017

Bee Sweet to Pollinators at Season’s at Highland Lake
June 1-30, open 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM for lunch, Wed. – Sat. and 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM for dinner, Wed. – Sun.
Presented by: Season’s at Highland Lake
Season’s at Highland Lake will be feature a delectable dessert made with local honey during Pollinator Month, and 20% of sales of this special dessert will be donated to Bee City USA.   Stroll through the restaurant’s own organic gardens, enjoy bountiful blooms, and observe the beauty of pollination in action.
Audience:  All ages
Location:  Season’s at Highland Lake, 87 Lily Pad Lane, Flat Rock
Cost: The price of your meal and dessert
Registration: None required

Propagation Workshop
Thursday, June 1, 1:00 – 4:30 PM
Presented by: Bullington Gardens
Nurseryman Wes Burlingame will teach basic plant propagation methods in this hands-on workshop that will include seed, cuttings and division of woody ornamentals and perennials.
Location: Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville
Audience: Adults
Cost: $25
Registration: Please RSVP by calling 828-698-6104.

Observation Hive / Bee the Change You Want to See!
Saturday, June 3, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Presented by: B.B. Barns Garden Center
Stop by to meet members of the Henderson County Beekeepers Association and learn all about honey bee hives.  See if you can identify the queen bee!  The observation hive and many informational pamphlets will be available.  In addition, the B.B. Barns Garden-Gift-Landscape Services Team will be celebrating pollinators by wearing antennae, wings, and “Bee the Change You Want to See” T-shirts.  Be sure to place your name in a drawing for a jar of local honey and a B.B. Barns gift certificate plus pick up a recipe card for the best honey cupcake with lavender frosting.  Shop for bee decals, butterfly watering stations, and pollinator friendly plants including the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year™, Asclepias tuberosa, a native milkweed also known as butterfly weed. Not only do butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds flock to its flowers for nectar, it serves as a host plant for monarchs.
Location: B.B. Barns Garden Center, 3377 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden
Audience: All ages
Cost: Free!
Registration: None required

Flowers Are Bee-Loved: How to Plant Your Own Pollinator Paradise
Saturday, June 3, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Presented by: B.B. Barns Garden Center & Bee City USA
Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are in trouble and the perfect people to help them are gardeners! Founder and Director of the national program Bee City USA, Phyllis Stiles, will provide some brief background on pollinator decline and share ways gardeners can transform their yard into a pollinator paradise. The talk will provide specific information about choosing plants to attract a diversity of pollinators.  Q&A will take place on a tour of the Annual and Perennial Departments  where you will find plants identified as pollinator friendly. Handouts will be provided. Don’t miss this amazing seminar with the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign’s 2015 Pollinator Advocate for the United States, Phyllis Stiles!
Location: B.B. Barns Garden Center, 3377 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden
Audience: All ages
Cost: $10 donation to Bee City USA Asheville (Asheville GreenWorks)
Registration: Please visit www.bbbarns.com to register or call the Garden Center at 828-650-7300.

Introduction to Beekeeping
Sunday, June 4, 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Presented by:  Henderson County Beekeepers Association, Veterans Healing Farm, and Organic Growers School
This informative program on how to get started in beekeeping will be presented by experienced
local beekeepers from the Henderson County Beekeepers Association.  Topics will include: basic bee biology, equipment and terminology, how to get bees, beekeeper responsibilities, investment (cost), producing local honey, benefits of joining a bee club, and more.  The program will the held at the Veterans Healing Farm whose mission is to support veterans and caregivers by providing access to fresh produce, farm activities, and seminars on holistic health and sustainability.  It is supported by Organic Growers School (OGS), the premiere provider of practical and affordable organic education in the Southern Appalachians. OGS is building a vibrant food and farming community by boosting the success of organic home growers and farmers in our region.
Audience: Middle school age to adults.
Location: Veterans Healing Farm, Hendersonville.  Directions:  From Pardee Hospital travel west on U.S. 64 for approximately 3 miles. Turn left on Yale Rd. Park on the right-hand side of Yale Rd. near the line of Leyland cypress trees. PLEASE DO NOT USE MAHSHIE LANE TO ACCESS THE FARM.
Cost: $10 suggested donation to Veterans Healing Farm
Registration: Please RSVP by emailing outreach@organicgrowersschool.org

Gardening for Pollinators Online Education Series
June 5-9, 12:00 – 12:20 PM and June 9, 9:00 – 10:30 PM
Presented by: Gardens That Matter
Garden educator Amy Landers will share a short daily lesson about gardening for pollinators via Facebook live video. On Friday evening, join her for an in-depth discussion and live Q&A about pollinator-friendly plants and practices.
Location: Online at www.facebook.com/gardensthatmatter/videos
Audience: All
Cost: Free
Registration: None required. (You can “like” the Gardens That Matter Facebook page to receive notifications.)

Plant-Pollinator Interactions – Presentation & Book Signing by Tim Spira
Tuesday, June 6, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Presented by: Hendersonville Tree Board and Environmental Sustainability Board
Have you ever wondered why there is such an incredible diversity of flower shapes, sizes, colors, and fragrances in nature? In this presentation, botanist Tim Spira will discuss how plant-pollinator interactions have been an important evolutionary force generating the diversity of flowers that we see (and enjoy) in nature. Along the way, you’ll gain an increased appreciation for the many interesting interactions among plants and their pollinators in the natural world. Tim Spira is a plant ecologist, native plant gardener, and professor emeritus of botany at Clemson University where he taught field botany and plant ecology for more than 20 years. Tim’s research specialty is the reproductive biology of plants with an emphasis on plant-pollinator interactions.  He is the author of two recent books: Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont: A Naturalist’s Guide to the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia (2011) and Waterfalls and Wildflowers in the Southern Appalachians: Thirty Great Hikes (2015), University of North Carolina Press.  Tim will be available to sign books at a reception following the presentation.
Location: City Operations Center (Assembly Room), 305 Williams Street, Hendersonville
Audience: Adults
Cost: Free!
Registration: None required

Pollinators and Their Plants on the Farm
Wednesday, June 7, 10 AM – 11:30 AM
Presented by Green River Preserve
Green River Preserve is a summer camp located on the gorgeous banks of the Green River and specializes in reconnecting children with nature and all its wonders. The Green River Preserve Farm encourages learners both young and old to see farms as ecosystems as well, and to understand how our interactions with our food and where it comes from affect the natural world. We employ a variety of sustainability measures on the farm, with lots of pollinator habitat, and we keep bees! Come join us as we take a guided hike around the farm to see how the plants that grow on a small farm like this one attract, benefit, and are aided by various native pollinators. And you just might get to go home with a plant, yourself!
Location: Green River Preserve Farm, 6371 Green River Rd, Zirconia, NC
Cost: $5 suggested donation
Audience: All ages
Registration:  Please RSVP by emailing rachel@greenriverpreserve.org

Lewis Creek Preserve Nature Walk
Thursday, June 8, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Presented by: MountainTrue and Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy
Lewis Creek Preserve is an eight-acre preserve protected and managed by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. MountainTrue Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, will lead a slow hike along the trail, interpreting the plant life, wildflowers, and value of pollinators on this property. The visit includes a boardwalk which overlooks an example of the remaining rare Southern Appalachian Bog ecosystems. Bob and MountainTrue have special expertise in managing these bogs and in addressing their threats, including non-native invasive plants.
Location: Edneyville Community Center, 15 Ida Rogers Drive, Hendersonville. We will meet at the community center parking lot (up the hill, to the left) then shuttle to the Lewis Creek Preserve trailhead a short distance away.
Audience: Middle school age to adults. Hike rating is easy.
Cost: Free!
Registration: Please visit http://mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar/ to register or call 828-258-8737.

Pollinator Relay
Saturday, June 10, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Presented by: Holmes Educational State Forest
We will observe the flowering activity in the HESF Pollinator Garden/Monarch Waystation, play an interactive pollinator bee relay game and make a butterfly craft.
Location: Holmes Educational State Forest, 1299 Crab Creek Road, Hendersonville
Audience: Families with small children
Cost: Free!
Registration: Please RSVP at Holmesesf.ncfs@ncagr.gov or 828-692-0100.

Oklawaha Greenway Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal
Thursday, June 15, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Presented by: MountainTrue
You’ll get a brief training on identifying target invasive plants and control methods (manual and herbicide application). Then we’ll walk to a section of the Greenway near the wetland forest and remove three invasive species to restore native wetland habitat. Wear close toed shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirt. Bring water and snacks and work gloves if you have them. We’ll have everything else you need.
Location: Patton Park, 114 E. Clairmont Dr. off Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville (Park close to the entrance by the basketball courts.)
Audience: 12 years old and up with a responsible guardian. All participants should be capable of moderate physical exertion and able to handle the heat.
Cost: Free!
Registration: Please visit http://mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar/ to register or call 828-258-8737.

Introduction to Beekeeping
Saturday, June 17, 9:30 – 11:00 AM
Presented by: Henderson County Beekeepers Association and Hendersonville Community Co-Op
This informative program on how to get started in beekeeping will be presented by experienced local beekeepers from the Henderson County Beekeepers Association.  Topics will include: basic bee biology, equipment and terminology, how to get bees, beekeeper responsibilities, investment (cost), producing local honey, benefits of joining a bee club, and more.
Audience: Middle school age to adults.
Location: Community Classroom at the Hendersonville Community Co-op, 60 South Charleston Lane, Hendersonville
Cost: Free!
Registration: Please RSVP by emailing outreach@hendersonville.coop

Blue Ghost Summer Education Series:  Bring on the Butterflies! (And the Beer!)
Sunday, June 18, 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Presented by: Blue Ghost Brewing Company, Hendersonville Bee City USA, and Asheville GreenWorks
Come celebrate Father’s Day by enjoying delicious hand-crafted beer, listening to music under the oak, and learning some natural history while you’re at it!  Stemming from our love of nature and background in biology and education, Blue Ghost Brewing is pleased to partner with the certified Bee City USA communities of Hendersonville and Asheville to present this fun-filled day celebrating pollinators.  Crafts and games for the kiddos and a pollinator-themed menu from Olive Catering Company will be offered throughout the day.  Kim Bailey from Bee City USA will share the fascinating life cycle and migration story of monarchs plus give tips for inviting these winged wonders into your own backyard.  Learn what other butterflies you can also attract just by growing the right plants and creating healthy habitats.  Discover how hops vines and a stale beer concoction (in the rare case you may ever have any stale beer) can help lure in even more fluttery friends!  Please visit www.blueghostbrewing.com for a complete schedule of the day’s events. A portion of the sales this day will be donated to Bee City USA.
Location: Blue Ghost Brewing Company, 125 Underwood Road, Fletcher
Audience: All ages including families/kids
Cost: Free!
Registration: None required

Catch the Buzz at West First
June 19 – June 24, open 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM for lunch and 5:00 – 9:00 or 9:30 PM for dinner, Mon. – Sat.
Presented by: West First
Did you know 1 in every 3 bites you take is thanks to a pollinator? Stop by West First and get to know a little more about who pollinates and helps produce your food, from honey bees to squash bees, bumble bees, blueberry bees, orchard bees, moths, butterflies, bats, hummingbirds, beetles, and more!  Plus, you can help protect pollinators, one pint at a time!  5% of each beer sold during National Pollinator Week (June 19 – 24) will be donated to Bee City USA to help keep pollinators buzzing, humming, and fluttering!
Audience:  Adults, age 21 and up.
Location: West First Wood-Fired, 101 1st Ave W, Hendersonville
Cost: The price of your beer(s)
Registration: None required

Celebrate Pollinators at Flat Rock Village Bakery
Monday, June 19 – Sunday, June 25, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Presented by: Flat Rock Village Bakery
Did you know 1 in every 3 bites you take is thanks to a pollinator? Stop by Flat Rock Village Bakery and get to know a little more about who pollinates and helps produce your food, from honey bees to squash bees, bumble bees, blueberry bees, orchard bees, moths, butterflies, bats, hummingbirds, beetles, and more!  Pollinator artwork will be on display all month, but be sure to also visit during National Pollinator Week (June 19 – 25) to taste special menu items featuring honey and/or ingredients dependent on pollinators.  Plus, you’ll be giving back to pollinators as a portion of sales of featured bakery items during this week will be donated to help create healthy pollinator habitats.
Audience:  All ages
Locations: Flat Rock Village Bakery, 2710 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
Cost: The price of your meal or pastry item
Registration: None required

Pollination Celebration at Flat Rock Farmers Market
Thursday, June 22, 3:00 – 6:00 PM
Presented by:  Flat Rock Farmers Market, Hendersonville Bee City USA, Bee Masters Farm, and Natives, by George!
Stop by the Flat Rock Farmers Market for a special bonus! In observance of Bee City USA’s Pollinator Month and National Pollinator Week, you’ll find the normal bountiful harvest from all the market vendors plus some special treats to celebrate pollinators (all those amazing creatures that visit flowering plants and help them reproduce). Pollination truly is responsible for the beauty and abundance of the plant world. What better way to spend the afternoon than appreciating the people and pollinators working together to produce the splendid flowers and fruits that feed us in so many ways?!  Visit Bee City USA’s Pollination Celebration booth to learn more about pollinators; purchase local honey; meet local beekeepers; buy some pollinator-friendly plants for your garden; make your own pair of bee, butterfly or other pollinator antennae; and more!
Audience:  All ages
Location: Flat Rock Farmers Market, Little Rainbow Row Parking Lot, 2764 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
Cost: Free!
Registration: None required

Pollinator Safari at Oklawaha Greenway
Saturday, June 24, 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Presented by: Hendersonville Tree Board, Hendersonville Environmental Sustainability Board, and Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway
Join the Bee City USA safari guides for a chance to see and learn about the wide diversity of pollinators that thrive in the Greenway’s flowering meadows. We’ll be on the lookout for various types of butterflies, native bees, beetles, and other species as we witness spectacles of pollination, predation, reproduction, competition, deception, and adaptation taking place right before our eyes. Come join the adventure!
Location: Oklawaha Greenway, Berkeley Rd. Parking Area (located on Berkeley Rd. close to the bridge over Mud Creek), Hendersonville
Audience: All ages
Cost: Free!
Registration: by email to beecityhendersonville@gmail.com.

Farm, Field and Forest: Discover Pollinators at Connemara
June 1-30, open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Presented by: Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Pick up a Farm, Field and Forest TRACK Trail brochure when you enter the park to discover the homes and hiding places of pollinators at Connemara.  The trail guide will take you by the gardens, goats and pastures while following the footsteps of Carl Sandburg’s grandchildren.  Activities in the brochure will guide you to learn about the various plant and animal communities that work together at Connemara.
Audience: All ages
Location: Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Little River Road, Flat Rock
Cost: No fee for the trail guide or to enter the park.
Registration: None required

Winged Wonders: Step into the World of Butterflies
June 1-30, open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Presented by: The North Carolina Arboretum
See the miracle of metamorphosis before your very eyes. On display inside the Baker Exhibit Center Greenhouse, Winged Wonders is an indoor butterfly exhibit featuring a chrysalis-rearing chamber and a walk-through butterfly house where visitors can meet a whole host of local butterfly species, including monarchs, swallowtails and more.
Audience:  All ages
Location: The North Carolina Arboretum, Baker Exhibit Center, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way,
Asheville
Cost: The North Carolina Arboretum does not charge a per person admission, only a parking fee: $14 for personal vehicles ($7 on Tuesday, June 6)
Registration: None required