Events & Activities

Buzz, Blooms and Beyond

In 2020 the Penn State Master Gardeners in Adams County are launching a new program about pollinators called Buzz, Blooms and Beyond. Throughout the year, the program will offer family-oriented and educational activities including seminars, demonstrations, art contests, bus trips, and other fun events to better understand pollinators and learn how to create a pollinator-friendly garden.

Buzz, Blooms and Beyond will offer three seminars with demonstrations held in the gardens at the Extension Center. At these seminars, Master Gardeners will share their knowledge about how bees, butterflies and other insects perform pollination services, play a key role in the production of fruits and vegetables, and promote the health and diversity of flowering plants. Pollinators are involved in the production of fruits and vegetables that supply one-third of the food, feed for livestock that supply meat and dairy foods, medicinal products, vitamins, herbs, honey and, of course, flowers.

A seminar initially planned for early May will be rescheduled. During this seminar participants will hear about and observe hardworking honey bees. These non-native bees form large colonies that are ruled by a queen bee. Managed by beekeepers, these bees assist Pennsylvania farmers in the production of more than 90 different crops and produce nearly one million pounds of honey each year. The seminar will help participants understand why both native and honey bees are the most effective pollinators, where they nest and where they spend the winter. They will learn about the diverse array of over 400 native bee species in Pennsylvania that have evolved with the flowers they pollinate. These native bees come in many sizes, shapes, and colors and have developed varied and unique physical attributes and behaviors that help them harvest pollen and nectar. As an example there is the Southeastern Blueberry Bee that is prized by farmers for its ability to pollinate blueberry flowers. This small, half-inch sized bee is active for only a few weeks in the spring. In its short life it will visit 50,000 flowers and assist in the production of 6,000 blueberries.

A seminar on July 11 will acquaint participants with butterflies that can be found in our region. Demonstrations held in the gardens at the Extension Center will help identify butterflies like the Eastern Black Swallowtail. Master Gardeners will lead a search of the gardens for tiny eggs laid by the female Swallowtail Butterfly on dill and fennel plants and explain how the colorful caterpillar spins itself into a chrysalis; and how inside this cocoon-like structure, it transforms into a butterfly. Monarch Butterfly caterpillars will be seen feeding on milkweed, their host plant, and butterflies feeding on nectar plants. The migrating trip Monarch butterflies take in the fall when they travel over 3,000 miles to forested mountains in Mexico and return again in the spring will be explored.

A seminar scheduled for September 12 will highlight beneficial insects that pollinate flowering plants, including moths, flies, and beetles and explain how they help sustain functioning ecosystems by moving pollen across plant communities. The movement of pollen within and across plant populations promotes genetic diversity and enables plants to evolve and respond to changing environmental conditions and improves their ability to survive. Insect pollinators are at risk from habitat loss, chemical use, invasive species, climate change, parasites and disease. Buzz, Blooms and Beyond will help participants understand threats to pollinators, attract them to the garden and create habitat that meets their needs for food, shelter and water.

On August 8, the Master Gardeners will host the public at a day-long event celebrating pollinators with contests, games and fun for the family. Food and beverages will be provided. The day is capped off with a bus tour of local gardens that are pollinator-friendly.

Penn State Master Gardeners will be sharing information about pollinator-friendly garden practices at the Saturday Adams County Farmer’s Market held May through October in Gettysburg once it opens for the season. Upcoming events include:

q Bees and Blooms Seminar and Demonstration – Being rescheduled. Learn about native bees, what they contribute to the pollination of flowering plants, food supplies, and the environment and how to attract them to the garden.

  • Butterflies and Blooms Seminar and Demonstration – July 11, 10 am to noon. Improve knowledge about and ability to identify common butterflies and the plants that are hosts and food sources.
  • Bugs and Beyond Seminar and Demonstration – September 12, 10 am to noon. Learn about beneficial insects (other than bees and butterflies), their plant hosts, the plants they pollinate and how to make the garden more welcoming.
  • Buzz, Blooms and Beyond Day Event – August 8, 9 am to 2 pm. The Master Gardeners will host a day of fun, relaxation and education at the Extension Center. Pollinator-oriented activities for children include garden tours, games, contests, and a visit with the Pollinator Princess.
  • Very Important Buzz (VIB) Bus Tour – August 8, 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Tour local pollinator-friendly gardens and commercial growers that utilize pollinator plants and beehives.
  • Many of these activities will be free; some will require a nominal fee. To register for these activities, call 1-877-345-0691. For more information, contact Penn State Extension at 717-334-6271.

    Please join us for these fun events and learn how to fill your garden with these beneficial and beautiful creatures. Watch out though; watching them may become habit forming.