The Farms: Bee Hive Observation

Get a first-hand look at how honey bees manage hive activity during the summer at Bee Hive Observation on June 2 & 15, July 7 & 21, Aug. 4 & 25, and Sept. 8.* Classes will include an overview of seasonal influences, followed by a peek inside the hives to observe honey bees at work. Traditional and Flow Hives will also be discussed.

Participants should wear loose-fitting long sleeves and pants, close-toed shoes and bring a protective bee veil and unscented rubber gloves.

$90/person for the series or $20/class. Register here for the series by May 31 or two days before each individual class.* All sales are final.

*Individual class links:

— Sunday, June 2, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Saturday, June 15, 2:30-4:30 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, July 7: 1-3 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium
— Sunday, July 21, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, Aug. 4, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, Aug. 25: 1-3 p.m. in the Studio
— Sunday, Sept. 8: 1-3 p.m. in the Studio

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

When Maggie Wachter began her social work degree at the University of Illinois in 2008, she had no idea that she would become a beekeeper. As for honey, she kept a single jar in the back of her kitchen cabinet for recipes. Today she is a master beekeeper who never eats sugar.

Maggie received her first hive as a gift in 2008. By 2010, she was enrolled in the Master Beekeeper course at the University of Florida. From there, things happened quickly to turn her life around. In 2012, she started teaching beekeeping for Parkland Community Education and today she is a beekeeping teacher, honey judge, mead maker and master beekeeper.

She has also participated in honeybee research at the University of Illinois and the USDA.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, wellness, outdoor education, storytelling, and science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

See the complete summer session here.