Pre-registration required.

Cost: $25 (25% off for BGA Members)

You don’t have to travel to other continents to find amazing creatures— they could be right in your backyard! They are just small. This class is to help you learn to observe and identify pollinators in your garden or wherever plants are blooming. We use our phone as a tool for getting an up close look at the insects and we use the iNaturalist app to help with identifying the pollinators we find.

SPECIAL NOTE: ALL OTHER CERTIFIED POLLINATOR ADVOCATE CLASSES ARE HELD ON THE 2ND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, 6:00-7:30, WHICH IS TOO LATE IN THE DAY TO SEE POLLINATORS WHEN THEY ARE MOST ACTIVE. ALSO, CHANCES OF SEEING POLLINATORS ARE BETTER LATER IN THE MONTH. THE RAIN DATE FOR THE SAFARI IS JUNE 29, 2:00-4:00.

Instructors

Florrie Funk has served on the Leadership Committee of Bee City USA-Asheville for six years. She has had a lifelong love of wildflowers and wild places. She has spent the last thirty years learning about native ecosystems and working as a volunteer in nature education, citizen science projects, plant diversity restoration and removal of invasive species. Recently she has focused on native habitat gardening and photographing pollinators. She is of the opinion that in all creation, there are no insignificant pieces.

Virginia Currie is a lover of and an advocate for insects including pollinators. She maintains a native bee sanctuary in her back yard by providing a pesticide -free zone, nesting habitat, fresh water and native plants that bloom sequentially through the growing season. Virginia has expanded a safe corridor for pollinators in her neighborhood by sharing plants and creating pollinator gardens for curious and willing neighbors. She is eager to share her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for how we can all contribute to species decline by taking action in our own backyards.

Photo of a past pollinator safari.