MERRIMAC – On Saturday, May 14th at 1 PM, The Essex County Beekeepers’ Association’s (ECBA) William Crocker and Mel Gadd will present “Introduction to Honeybees: The Honeybee Book” a program to learn about honeybees and beekeeping as well as to understand the importance of these pollinators in our community. The ECBA will bring along an observation hive to demonstrate the habitat of the honeybee and the honey making process.
Sponsored by The Friends of the Merrimac Library, this special presentation will be part of a series of Spring programs the library will offer to the public surrounding the much anticipated June opening of its new pollinator garden, carefully planned and designed using primarily native species to attract and support pollinators. This presentation from ECBA ties in perfectly with the library’s goal to help the community better understand the role of these native pollinators in the garden and the need to create habitat for a healthy ecosystem.
The presenters are members of the Essex County Beekeepers’ Association (ECBA). ECBA, is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1923 by local beekeepers in Essex County, Massachusetts interested in sharing their experiences. In 1998, they celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the club and its association with the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield and received international recognition. They are known to have the largest honey show in North America.
Bill Crocker has a BSME from UMass-Lowell and an MSME from MIT.
He is currently working as a software engineer with Analog Devices Inc. and has been a member of the Essex County Beekeepers Association for about 5 years.
Mel Gadd, Beekeeper has been involved with the Essex County Beekeepers Association (ECBA) for over 16 years. Mel maintains 22 hives, three at schools where he works with students as the beekeepers, and 18 hives at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln. Mel has been involved with using non-traditional types of hives (top bar, Warre hives, Slovinian & Valkyrie Horizontal hives) as well as the traditional Langstroth hive. As part of his work at Drumlin Farm, Mel has been conducting experiments with natural approaches to dealing with the problems of the bees.
Mel was named the “Beekeeper of the Year” in 2017 by the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association.
Register online through the Library’s Event page or call the library at 978-346-9441 to secure a spot.
Go to the library Event page by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-honeybees-the-honeybee-book-tickets-330662990907
