Buzzworthy Spring 2017 Open House to be Held at Rieck Center
“Bee” sure to join us on Sunday, April 30 from 1-3 p.m. as the University of Findlay’s Rieck Center for Habitat Studies presents its annual Spring Open House! The event will be free and open to the public.
Located between Findlay and Arlington at 17311 County Road 166, the center’s 54 acres, which include two miles of trails that weave through woodlands, grasslands, along wetlands and past a variety of other habitats, will be open for exploring and learning.
This year’s open house will feature lessons on different types of native and non-native bees, why they’re all important and how to help them survive. Dwight Wilson, president of the Northwest Ohio Beekeepers Association and director for the Ohio Beekeepers in northwest Ohio, will present on the life of honeybees and the product we get from bees. He’ll also address the importance of providing plants and trees for pollinators.
Some interesting bee facts from the USDA Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership:
- There are more than 4,000 different species of native bees in the United States, none of which are honeybees.
- The honeybee was introduced by European settlers, and is not the best pollinator compared to many of its native contemporaries.
- Bees pollinate approximately 75 percent of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United Stages.
The Rieck Center is used by various UF science classes for observation, study, research and entertainment, but is open to the public all year. For more information on what the site has to offer, visit www.rieckcenter.org. Questions can also be directed to Ben Dolan, Ph.D., at dolan@findlay.edu.