Bees are important pollinators,
food producers and inspiration to artists and architects. Learn more during a
month-long series of activities that will keep the community and campus buzzing.
Various bee-themed events and
activities Nov. 10-Dec. 7 are part of the “Beyond the Hive” coordinated by the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Bee-related art, photography,
films, foods, performances and lectures will be offered at locations on and off
campus, said Liz Fakazis, an associate professor of communication and “Beyond
the Hive” organizer.
Fakazis was hooked on bees after
visiting with UW-Madison bee expert Claudio Gratton. She learned that Wisconsin
hosts more than 500 species of wild bees. She also learned that bees pollinate
crops, inspire architecture with honeycombs and help sniff out diabetes.
“I started to see how bees could
help build bridges between the sciences, arts and humanities, connecting our
different colleges and majors,” said Fakazis on her inspiration for “Beyond the
Hive.”
The project is a collaboration of
faculty, staff and community members, she said, who hope to find ways that
people can individually and collectively protect bees. “We hope to get people
excited about bees, see them in a different way and appreciate the important
role they play in sustaining human life and imagination.”
All events are free and open to
the public. “Beyond the Hive” activities include:
Nov. 1-31
- “All About Bees”
Portage County Farm-to-School elementary school programs
Nov. 10-Dec. 7
- Art/photography
exhibit: “Beyond the Hive,” Carlsten Gallery, UW-Stevens Point’s Noel Fine Arts
Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point.
- Honey-flavored baked
goods for sale, Main Grain Bakery, 1009 First St., Stevens Point.
- Honey-flavored
drink specials for sale, Zest Bakery and Coffee House, 624 Isadore St., Stevens
Point.
Monday, Nov. 10
- “Beyond the Hive”
exhibit: Meet the Artists reception, 4-6 p.m., Carlsten Gallery, with talk on
“Using Photography to Capture the Essence of Bees,” 6:30 p.m., Noel Fine Arts
Center Room 285, with Sam Droege of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Tuesday, Nov. 11
- Public lecture by
Sam Droege: “Bees: Purported Declines, Agricultural Crossroads, and New Models
for Pollination,” 6:15 p.m., Trainer Natural Resources Building Room 170,
UW-Stevens Point.
Thursday, Nov. 13
- Documentary film:
“Queen of the Sun: What are the bees telling us,” 7 p.m., Dreyfus University
Center Theater, UW-Stevens Point.
- Healthy Family
Night: “All About Bees,” 7 p.m., Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, 1100 Main
St., Stevens Point.
Monday, Nov. 17
- Honey-based lunch
items for sale, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., CPS Café, College of Professional Studies
building, UW-Stevens Point.
- Nature program:
“What’s All the Buzz About?” 7 p.m., Schmeeckle Reserve Visitors Center, 2419
Northpoint Drive, Stevens Point.
Friday, Nov. 21
- Dance performance
and reception: “The Lost Hive,” 7:30 p.m., Jenkins Theatre, Noel Fine Arts Center,
UW-Stevens Point.
Wednesday, Dec. 3
- Public lecture by
Barrett Klein: “Insects Incorporated: How Bees and their Relatives Impact our
Histories, Cultures and Lives,” 6:30 p.m., Noel Fine Arts Center Room 221,
UW-Stevens Point.
- Honey tasting and
appetizer reception, 8 p.m., CPS Café, College of Professional Studies
building, UW-Stevens Point. This free event is limited to 100 people. RSVP by
Nov. 15 at lfakazis@uwsp.edu.
Thursday, Dec. 4
- Panel Discussion
with UW-Madison entomologist Claudio Gratton: “Managing Our Natural Landscapes
to Nurture Bees,” 6:30 p.m., Central Rivers Farmshed, 1220 Briggs Ct., Stevens
Point.
Friday, Dec. 5
- Video screening
by UW-Stevens Point Media Studies students: “Projecting the Hive” and
reception, 6 p.m., Carlsten Gallery.