Just Bee-Cause

The honey bee sculpture that graces the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis is bee-u-tiful.

It's the work of nationally renowned artist Donna Billick, based in Davis. Indeed, the bee sculpture is so unique, so creative and so detailed that you can almost hear it buzz.

You'll get a close-up look at the bee at the grand opening celebration on Saturday, Sept. 11. The time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The place: Bee Biology Road on the west end of campus. The event will include speakers, honey tasting, children's activities, and tours of the half-acre bee friendly garden.

The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, planted last fall, is designed to be a year-around food source for bees and other pollinators; a teaching resource and field research site; and an educational experience for visitors. "It promises to become a campus destination," said entomology professor Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology.

Kudos to Haagen-Dazs for its generous gift.

Kudos to the winning design  team from Sausalito: Ann F. Baker, landscape architect; Jessica Brainard, interpretive planned; Chika Kurotaki, exhibit designer and Donald Sibbett, landscape architect.

And kudos to the construction team that put it all together: Cagwin and Dorward Landscape Contractors.

A very welcome addition to the haven is the colorful art created by the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, founded and directed by entomology professor-artist Diane Ullman and artist Donna Billick.

The ceramic art tiles on the bee "pedestal" are the work of undergraduate students and community residents involved in the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program.

Donors making gifts or pledges of $1000 or more will have their names placed on ceramic art tiles--and on the website of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. Pledges can be paid over five years, according to Jan Kingsbury, director of major gifts, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The deadline to contact her in order to have these tiles in place before the Sept. 11 opening is July 20.  "We are just about to finish the art work for this set of tiles," Kingsbury said.  (She can be reached at (530) 304-4327 or jkingsbury@ucdavis.edu.) Donors, however, can make contributions year-around to the haven or to the honey bee research program.

Indeed, the declining bee population is troubling. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) continues to wreak global havoc.  This winter was the worst ever, the nation's apiculturists agree.

Meanwhile, plans are shaping up for the grand celebration of the haven.  Those planning to "bee" there on Sept. 11 should contact Nancy Dullum of the UC Davis Department of Entomology at nadullum@ucdavis.edu and insert "honey bee haven" in the subject line.  The body of the text should indicate the number of visitors.