March Chapter Meeting – Native Bees in Your Landscape

Less well known than European Honeybees, Texas’ native bees are nevertheless vital components of a healthy environment, and can provide a new dimension of enjoyment in your home garden. This program will cover basic information on the current challenges all bee species are facing, and the tricks they use to survive natural challenges in Texas’ extremes. Learn why they are important to all of us, facts about gentle solitary native bees and their lifestyles, and photo examples of the many beautiful forms and colors of native bees.  We will include tips on what to plant and provide to attract them to your home landscape and help them survive there, and basic identification hints.  We’ll discuss simple homemade native bee nest sites and find out how to participate in nationwide citizen science tracking efforts.

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Carol Clark standing in a prairie with tall grasses.

Carol Clark is a Texas Master Naturalist, long-time member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, Chair of the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas committee of NPSOT, and a Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist.  She is also a co-administrator of the Texas Native Bee Co-op Facebook page. When she’s not busy teaching others about pollinators or native plants, she enjoys looking after her own colossal Monarch Waystation and private wildlife refuge in Cooke County. She is a frequent speaker on conservation topics around the state.