Sustainable Urban Beekeeping | BK911
In partnership with Humber College, the Humber Arboretum is pleased to offer a learning series centered around Sustainable Urban Beekeeping. Convenient hybrid delivery combines online theory courses offered both nights and weekends with in-person, hands-on sessions at the Centre for Urban Ecology and in the outdoor Honeybee Hub. Whether your focus is on creating local food for your family and community or making your own small batch honey and by-products to sell, the Humber Arboretum's experienced beekeepers will get you started on the path to thriving urban hives that put the health of the bees first.
How it Works
Take Individual Courses or Earn a Certificate of Participation through Humber College
Learners are free to pick and choose the courses that are of interest*, or complete 8 required courses and 2 electives to earn a Certificate of Participation through Humber College. See the full course descriptions below.
*Please note that many hands-on courses have theory-based pre-requisites. Read individual descriptions for details.
Timeline
The Sustainable Urban Beekeeping program is designed so it can be completed in a year, however certificate participants have two years to complete all courses.
The one-year plan would most commonly look like this:
- February to April: While the bees are bunked down for the winter, take the three theory-based core courses online (BEES 010, 020, and 030)
- May to August: With those prerequisites covered, sign up for the first two bee yard workshops (040, 050) to begin your monthly spring and summer visits to the hives*
- July to September: Complete Products of the Hive (070) in the summer so you're ready to participate in a full honey harvest in late summer/early fall (080)
- September to October: Learn how to ready a hive for the winter with two autumn visits to the bee yard (060)*
- Flexible: Complete your two desired electives
*Please note that registration for hands-on courses working with the hives are limited both by the completion of pre-requisites and by the physical capacity of the Honeybee Hub.
Testimonials
“I highly recommend the Sustainable Urban Beekeeping course! There is no beekeeping training around that is as comprehensive, hands on, and based on sustainable and organic practices. I used my education as a springboard to start my own beekeeping company and product company which is still going strong four years later! Fran is a wealth of knowledge and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor.” ~ Saidy C. (2019)
"When I took your course I had already done a course but the amount I learned from [Fran] and John made the other course irrelevant. I really appreciated how you centered the bees' health over commercial interests which was very unlike the other course I took. I would totally recommend this course to anyone interested in developing knowledge, understanding, and deep appreciation for all bees." ~ Deb G. (2019)
“Humber’s beekeeping course was amazing and helped me to become a knowledgeable beekeeper. The classes balanced applied hands on examples and theory. The hands on bee yard experience gave me confidence to have my own hives. The classes were engaging and fun, where we met new people and where we actually worked with the bees. Years later I still love hearing the hum of the hives up close. Spinning out honey produced by hives I nurture, I am thankful Humber offered these courses." ~ Marilyn (2017)
Core Courses
Certificate participants must complete all eight core courses. These workshops can also be taken individually, although several have prerequisites.
Sustainable Urban Beekeeping: The Basics (BEES 010)
Online course with live chat/Q&A
2025 dates TBD
While honeybees are struggling in rural environments, they've been thriving in urban ones. If you've been thinking of taking up urban beekeeping, this introduction to the challenges and opportunities of keeping bees in the city is for you.
Topics covered include: honeybee anatomy & behaviour, personal philosophy behind the course, site selection, necessary equipment, laws & registration, and the beekeeping year.
Location: Online via Zoom (online presentations include live chat and Q&A)
2024 Fee: $105.00 plus HST ($118.65)
Please note: A minimum number of participants is required for the course to proceed. Registration closes one week before the first class.
Native and Honeybees: Habitat and Forage (BEES 020)
Online course with live chat/Q&A
2025 dates TBD
This workshop will look at native pollinator populations that have higher densities in urban compared to rural areas. What factors contribute to this success, and what can urbanites do to make the city even more hospitable to wild pollinators? What are the benefits of encouraging wild pollinators in the city?
A few of the many native bees to be found in Ontario will be introduced and supportive strategies for increasing and diversifying their urban populations will be discussed, including planting bee-friendly gardens and pollinator corridors.
Location: Online via Zoom (online presentations include live chat and Q&A)
2024 Fee: $105.00 plus HST ($118.65)
Please note: A minimum number of participants is required for the course to proceed. Registration closes one week before the first class.
Beekeeping Challenges (BEES 030)
Online course with live chat/Q&A
2025 dates TBD
A range of beekeeping challenges (pests, pathogens and predators) will be addressed with a focus on Integrated Pest Management. Monitoring techniques, recognizing signs and symptoms of problems, and conventional vs alternative treatment methods will be explored.
Swarming is a natural reproductive strategy of the honey bee colony, but can be problematic at close quarters in the city. This workshop will cover monitoring techniques, what swarming behaviour is telling you about your bees, how to mitigate or prevent swarming and even how to benefit from this natural behaviour.
It happens: sometimes a hive/colony will fail, even when you give the bees your best. While a dead colony is heart-breaking, it can be seen as a learning opportunity. We will cover the most common causes of "dead-outs" and strategies to minimize or prevent their occurrence.
Location: Online via Zoom (online presentations include online chat and Q&A)
2024 Fee: $105.00 plus HST ($118.65)
A minimum number of participants is required for the course to proceed. Registration closes one week before the first class.
The Bee Yard: Experiential Workshops (BEES 040, 050, 060)
In person
Please note, available dates are discussed directly with certificate candidates who have completed the prerequisites.
Prerequisites: BEES 010, 020, 030
In-person bee yard sessions are kept small with most being capped at 5 or so participants. This is to facilitate individual learning and interaction with the hives, for participant safety, and so as not to unduly stress the bees
Due to the prerequisite requirements, specific dates for these workshops will only be provided to those who have successfully completed the theory courses and indicate a desire to continue with the hands-on component. As these courses are weather-dependent, available dates will be sent out to those on the list two weeks prior to the anticipated workshop.
Each Bee Yard workshop consists of two 2-hour sessions.
These hands-on workshops teach participants how to care for hives throughout the season with monthly visits to the bee yard.
The Bee Yard in Spring - BEES 040 (May and June): Participants will open up a hive (in the Humber Arboretum and/or at Humber College) to observe and to help manage the bees. Spring topics covered over the two sessions will include splitting hives, installing a nuc (nucleus colony), spring build-up, swarming, integrated pest management (IPM), and honey supering.
The Bee Yard in Summer - BEES 050 (July and August): Participants will open up a hive (in the Arboretum and/or at Humber College) to observe and to help manage the bees. Summer topics covered over the two sessions include splitting hives, integrated pest management (IPM), and honey supering/preparing for harvest.
The Bee Yard in Autumn - BEES 060 (Sept and Oct): Participants will open up a hive (in the Arboretum and/or at Humber College) to observe and to help manage the bees. Autumn topics covered over the two sessions will include harvest preparation, fall treatments and readying the hive for the long winter months.
Location: In person at the Humber Arboretum Honeybee Hub, or other hive locations on campus
2024 Fees: $390 + HST ($440.70) for all six sessions
Registration links are only emailed directly to certificate candidates who have completed the three theory pre-requisites.
Beekeeping: Products of the Hive (BEES 070)
In person
2025 dates TBD
Hive products are more than just honey and beeswax. They include pollen and propolis, nucs and queens, and some surprises which we will explore. So what are the steps for a sustainable harvest? This workshop will examine harvesting tools and methods, regulations, jarring, and labeling first-hand. Incorporating a hands-on component, attendees will have a chance to uncap a honey frame and spin it out using our hand-cranked centrifuge. Learning how to clean beeswax and build a simple solar wax melter are also part of this experience.
Wear clothes you don't mind getting messy and/or bring an apron.
Location: In person at Humber College North Campus, 205 Humber College Blvd (building/room number TBA)
2024 Fee: $105.00 plus HST ($118.65)
Please note: A minimum number of participants is required for the course to proceed.
Registration for the August 11 session closes Thursday August 1st at 11:59 pm.
Honey Harvesting: Hands-On (BEES 080)
In person
Saturday September 28, 2024 - 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Participate in a full honey harvest day! Participants are often surprised at how much preparation, clean-up and hard work are required for a honey harvest.
Usually the available dates and registration links for this session will only be sent out to certificate candidates who have completed all of the pre-requisites. However if there is room a session may be opened to the general public as well.
2024 Fee: $148.31
Elective Courses
Certificate participants must complete two electives. These workshops can also be taken individually.
Honey Harvest By-Products: Making Salves, Creams, and Balms (BEES 094)
Saturday November 16, 2024 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Healing salves, creams, lip balms and bath balms take advantage of the healing properties of honey and beeswax. In this hands-on course you’ll learn how to make a healing infusion for use in salves and make lip balm, a healing salve, a facial cleanser, a moisturizing cream, a solid moisturizing body bar and a whipped butter for cracked heels, all for you to take home and enjoy.
Wear clothes you don’t mind getting messy and/or an apron.
Location: Centre for Urban Ecology, Humber Arboretum (the Humber Arboretum is located at the back of Humber College North campus, 205 Humber College Blvd. See the location of the Centre for Urban Ecology on Google Maps).
2024 Fee: $125.60
Honey Harvest By-Products: Making Mead (BEES 096)
In-person
Saturday October 12, 2024 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
At its most basic, mead - one of the world's oldest alcoholic beverages - is a blend of honey and water fermented with yeast. History of mead, terminology, safety and sanitation, and raw vs cooked methods are covered. How to make two types of mead will be demonstrated and participants will actively make a third variation. You will leave with some mead-in-the-making to continue the fermentation process at home, simple instructions, and recipe variations for future mead-making adventures. Each participant will be provided with a reusable glass growler, fermentation lock and bung.
Wear clothes you don’t mind getting messy and/or an apron
Location: Centre for Urban Ecology, Humber Arboretum (the Humber Arboretum is located at the back of Humber College North campus, 205 Humber College Blvd. See the location of the Centre for Urban Ecology on Google Maps).
2024 Fee: $125.60
Beeswax Candle Making (BEES 098)
Saturday October 26, 2024 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Review processing beeswax to remove impurities, then make rolled candles, hand-dipped tapers, tea lights, and small molded candles.
Location: Centre for Urban Ecology, Humber Arboretum (the Humber Arboretum is located at the back of Humber College North campus, 205 Humber College Blvd. See the location of the Centre for Urban Ecology on Google Maps.
2024 Fee: $125.60
Alternative Business Models for Apiaries (BEES 0910)
Online
Updated: Sunday December 1, 2024 - 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Running a small-scale bee operation in the city presents a different set of challenges to those encountered in its rural counterpart and calls for fresh approaches. Guest speakers share their personal experiences setting up, and working within, several alternative, small-scale business models in the beekeeping world (HiveShare, Collective, Co-operative). Host yards, contracts, MOUs, and insurance are touched on.
Location: Online via Zoom
2024 Fee: $73.45
Cocktails and Mocktails with Honey
Online
No sessions currently scheduled
The aim of Cocktails and Mocktails with Honey is to be a fun workshop, perhaps an antidote to a dreary late fall or winter afternoon, to demonstrate another way in which honey is versatile, and to inspire those planning on entertaining. We'll look at the history of cocktails, punches, shrubs, and mocktails, and some basic equipment and ingredients. Recipes will be provided in advance to allow registrants a chance to buy ingredients and then make a few of the beverages in real time along with the instructor. There will also be a demonstration on how to make jun, a refreshing beverage somewhat like kombucha in that it uses a Scoby but made with honey instead of sugar, and great in a cocktail or mocktail.”
Location: Online via Zoom
Fee: Future pricing TBA
Listening to the bees.
About the Instructor
Fran Freeman has been managing honey bees in both urban and rural settings for over a dozen years. With her partner John Coffman she tends the hives at the Humber Arboretum and both campuses of Humber College, as well as the hives at the YMCA’s Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre near Nobleton.
As sticky bees urban honey & hive consciousness, Fran markets sustainable hive products including honeys and healing salves and runs workshops on bees and sustainable beekeeping with a particular emphasis on keeping bees in the city using organic methods. Assisted by John, Fran teaches all of the Sustainable Urban Beekeeping courses at the Humber Arboretum.
Read an interview with Fran on NOWtoronto.com