Allerton Park & Retreat Center

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn about honey bees, one of the most unusual insects in the world, at Intro to Beekeeping from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19 in The Studio. Bees can survive under diverse climate conditions and are one of the few insects that produce food for humans. And such a food! Keeping honey bees happy and healthy is essential.

In this class taught by Maggie Wachter, learn the basics of starting a new hive: how to get bees, the honey bee life cycle, nutrition, equipment and what to do about mites. Would-be beekeepers and others with a lively interest in nature are welcome.

$20/person. Register by May 16. All sales are final.

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.

Along the way, she met fellow beekeeper Steve Halfar. Together, they pollinate apple orchards, chase black locust honey and keep their 50-odd hives thriving. They have participated in honeybee research at the U of I and USDA.

During the summer, you can find Maggie and Steve selling honey at the Urbana Market at the Square on the first Saturday of every month. They are thrilled to be at Allerton to share their enthusiasm for nature and honey bees with others.