Gardening for Native Bees
About
Pollinators need our help, and we can easily support them by creating habitat in our own gardens. Join Claudia Cruse of the UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab for an exploration of the wonderful world of California’s native bees, and learn how to create a bee-friendly garden that flowers year-round. Get to know some of our extraordinary local bees and their favorite plants, as well as ‘recipes’ for successful bee gardening! Since 1987, the UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab has studied bee diversity and bee–plant relationships across California, finding about 90 bee species in East Bay residential areas, most native to the state. Their research shows that bees have specific preferences for certain plants, leading to the creation of an experimental bee garden at UC Berkeley to demonstrate how gardens can support native bees and other pollinators. The research has since expanded to urban gardens and farms throughout California, studying pollinator diversity and promoting habitat-friendly gardening practices.
