UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For those interested in learning about how beekeeping is practiced in different parts of the world, Penn State Extension is offering a free, seven-week webinar series.
“Beekeeping Around the World” is designed for beekeepers, farmers and social insect enthusiasts. Webinars will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays from Feb. 15 to March 28.
Each week will feature a different location, and presenters will discuss what it is like to keep bees there. The series will cover the following topics:
“Ukraine,” Feb. 15. Attendees can learn about prewar and postwar experiences of beekeeping in Ukraine and how beekeeping has evolved after February 2022.
“Thailand,” Feb. 22. Thailand is home to approximately half of the world’s honey bee species. The speaker will discuss Thailand’s native species Apis dorsata, A. florea, A. cerana, A. andreniformis, and non-native A. mellifera.
“Lesotho,” Feb. 29. This webinar will focus on how beekeeping in Lesotho fosters sustainability across environmental, social and economic aspects, aligning with sustainable development goals and promoting tourism.
“Mexico,” March 7. The speakers will discuss their experience running a small, family-owned beekeeping operation in Chiapas, Mexico, highlighting the benefits of practicing small-scale, diversified beekeeping and the use of traditional ecological knowledge for improved bee care.
“Sweden,” March 14. Attendees will get a personal picture of being a beekeeper in Sweden, including what the beekeeping season looks like for honey bees in the northern parts of Europe.
“Tibetan Plateau,” March 21. The speaker will describe keeping Asian hive bees, Apis cerana.
“World Traveler,” March 28. The speaker will focus on the results of her 2022 Nuffield Canada Agricultural Scholarship, which allowed her to visit beekeepers and agricultural partners in 13 countries around the world investigating bee health challenges.
Interested individuals can access on-demand webinars from last year’s “Beekeeping Around the World” series — covering Apimondia, the Canadian Prairies, East Africa, Australia, China, Argentina and Switzerland — for free on the Penn State Extension website.
Penn State Extension offers this series free of charge, but participants must register by 11:59 a.m. on each webinar date to receive the link to access the live webinar. Registrants also will receive access to the webinar recording.
More information about the series is available on the Penn State Extension website.