CAMBP Classes on Pollinator Gardens and Apiary Technology

Honey bee, a non-native, on the California golden poppy, a native plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The California Master Beekeeper Program  (CAMBP) has announced its last two classes of 2024. One is a three-hour course, “Planning Year-Round Native Plant Pollinator Garden” from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Nov. 17, and other is a two-hour course,“Technology in the Apiary” from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 7. Both are remote. 

"These are great classes for anyone who is interested in supporting honey bee health, habitat and apiculture technology, said Wendy Mather, who serves as co-program director of CAMBP with Kian Nikzad.

They will be taught by the CAMBP Orange County Bee Team. Art Ando will teach the pollinator garden class, and Benoit Pouliquen, the “Technology in the Apiary.” The classes are open to both non-members and members. The fee is $30.

Pollinators and plants both have cycles in which they interact, Ando says. “Planting the right plants for your community of pollinators is the first step in doing the best you can to help your plants and pollinators flourish alike through the seasons. In this class you will learn how to select plants for year-round support of pollinators in your garden.”

Information on registering for the two classes is at https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/classes/class-schedule.

"My commitment to community engagement shines through my volunteer roles," says Ando on LinkedIn. A lifelong educator who holds a doctorate from Temple University Graduate School, Philadelphia, he seeks to advance urban beekeeping and community farming.  "As a UCCE (UC Cooperative Extension) Master Gardener of Orange County, I mentor food literacy initiatives and delivered educational classes and serve as expert on horticultural topics. My UCANR (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources) and UC Davis California Master Beekeeper role saw me authoring and presenting new lectures, supervising education booths at the Orange County Fair and creating safety manuals."

Students in the "Technology in the Apiary" class will learn how to use sensors to aid in the management of bees. They will explore how to set up and use Broodminder and other beehive monitoring tools and analyze data to inform decision-making.

Benoit Pouliquen of Newport Beach, is a retired Global Head of AdhesiveElectronics at Henkel. He holds a master's degree in metallurgical engineering from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. 

CAMBP, founded and directed by bee scientist Elina Lastro Niño, associate professor of Cooperative Extension, Apiculture and based in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. CAMBP uses science-based information to educate stewards and ambassadors for honey bees and beekeeping.

CAMBP is a self-described "continuous train-the-trainer effort. Its vision is to certify Honey Bee Ambassador, Apprentice, Journey, and Master level beekeepers so they can effectively communicate the importance of honey bees and other pollinators within their communities, serve as mentors for other beekeepers, and become the informational conduit between the beekeeping communities throughout the state and UC Cooperative Extension staff. Explore the Certifications Page for more information."

The 2025 classes will be announced soon. Classes are à la carte and open to the public, CAMBP relates. "There are remote, in-person, and hybrid options available year-round. Most classes are under 3 hours but some in-person ones can be longer. See the Class Catalog for more detail on each class. The certification program also provides class passes.