It has often been said that bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. Bee communities, both wild and managed, have been declining over the last half century with increased pesticide use, and changes in land use decreasing food and nesting resources for bees.
To learn more, join KBS at 7:30 p.m. on April 29 in welcoming Rufus Isaacs, an MSU professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Entomology. Isaacs' free talk, titled “Bringing Bees Back for Better Berries” will share how he and his lab members are studying the biology and management of insects, specifically in grape and blueberry crops. Their research provides growers practical information to improve production and profit, while maintaining or increasing environmental safety.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Before and after the talk, visit exhibitors including the MSU Extension Community Food Systems program, Kalamazoo Nature Center’s Michigan Butterfly Network, KBS Long Term Ecological Research and Native Connections.
Free berry themed desserts, along with water, tea and coffee will be served by the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Conference Center. New this year, a cash bar featuring Wildberry Pyment Mead from B. Nektar and Contemplation Ale from Grand Rapids brewery, Brewery Vivant will be open prior to the event. Each of these feature locally grown ingredients such as local honey, grapes and Michigan grown hops.
This community event is presented through KBS’s signature “Dessert with Discussion” lecture series and is sponsored in part by Native Connections in Three Rivers, Michigan.
Dessert with Discussion takes place in the KBS Academic Center Auditorium, 3700 E. Gull Lake Dr., Hickory Corners. For more information, call (269) 671-2015 or live stream here to view the night and its events.