Did you know Oregon has 500 species of bees, including four species that are actively managed in ingenious ways for crop pollination? Come and learn who these bees are and some of the weird and wonderful features of their lives (you will leave knowing five very cool bees that are frequent visitors in our gardens and backyards). The talk will also provide an overview of a state-wide strategy to keep Oregon bee-friendly, a strategy that leverages the patchwork of gardens, pollinator-friendly crops and adjacent natural areas in order to build on our state’s rich endowment of bee biodiversity.

Photo courtesy of the Oregon Bee Project

Andony Melathopoulos is an Assistant Professor of Pollinator Health Extension in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. He has over 15 years of experience working together with commercial beekeepers and land managers to develop solutions for keeping bees healthy. Since 2016 he has been leading OSU’s efforts to design, implement and evaluate a state-wide pollinator health program. He is on the Coordinating Team of the state-wide bee protection initiative, the Oregon Bee Project, and the host of a weekly podcast about pollinator health, PolliNation.