Pollinators!

UH’s O‘ahu Urban Garden Center will promote pollinator-protection awareness and strategies at its June Second Saturday at the Garden event.

Activities include hands-on honeybee stations with members of the UH Beelab; a native pollinators station featuring endemic yellow-faced bees, Kamehameha butterflies, and mamaki plants for sale; a monarch butterfly tent; and a photo booth. Keiki will be able to make a bee house. There will be a sale of pollinator-themed plants grown and contributed by the O‘ahu Master Gardeners, and a tour of the center’s pollinator garden to offer ideas and tips. Participants can add their pledge to protect pollinators on a garden mural. The Plant Doctor booth will answer plant and garden questions and will educate visitors about how to prevent pollinator poisoning.

The program is coordinated by the Bee Hui, a group of trained volunteers who raise bees at the center and who provide community education and outreach about the essential services provided by bees and other pollinators. Additional education and outreach will be provided by members of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, including new bee expert, assistant researcher Chrissy Mogren.

The Urban Garden Center is located at 955 Kamehameha Higway in Pearl City. Enter via the Home Depot parking lot.