#PlantWildflowers with BPL!

#PlantWildflowers with BPL!

with the Brookings Public Library (1)
Bees and other pollinators play a crucial role in nature, pollinating fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers that are essential to both human agriculture and wild ecosystems. But these important pollinators are facing challenges from habitat and food supply decline, pesticides, and more. At events at the Brookings Public Library this May and June, attendees will experience the beauty and biodiversity of native bees and learn how to support these important local pollinators.

Events:
Thursday, May 26 at 6:30pm - #PlantWildflowers Garden Kick-Off  (Library East Lawn)
As part of the #PlantWildflowers grant BPL received, we added two raised garden beds on the east side of the Brookings Public Library to showcase native wildflowers and encourage pollinators. Elaine Fritz, Brookings Area Master Gardener, will join us to talk about what we chose to plant and what native wildflowers are good for both beginning and experienced gardeners. Please feel free to bring a chair! 

Thursday, June 9 at 6:30pm – Pollinator Make & Take Workshop (Library South Lawn)
Encourage pollinators with our make & take workshop! We'll be making wildflower seed bombs for you to gift or plant and bee nests for small carpenter bees, mason bees, and leaf-cutting bees to overwinter in. This is an all-ages event!

Thursday, June 16 at 6:00pm – Documentary Screening and Q&A (Library Cooper Room)
Documentary: My Garden of a Thousand Bees. Martin Dohrn, veteran wildlife cameraman and bee enthusiast, embarked on a challenge during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 to film all the bees he could find in his tiny urban garden in Bristol, England. By the end of the summer, he became bee-obsessed and developed relationships with them. Dr. Amanda Bachmann from SDSU Extension will join us for a Q&A about bees via Zoom at 7:00pm.

Thursday, June 30 at 6:00pm – BioBlitz Challenge (Dakota Nature Park North Patio)
A BioBlitz is a communal effort to record as many species as possible within a designated time period. It's a fun way to get outside and explore nature! At this event, we'll learn how to use the iNaturalist app to collect and record information about local plants and wildlife at the Dakota Nature Park then give it a try! Please bring a phone or device to capture your observations if you have one. We'll have a couple extra for those who do not. 
Plus, pick up free wildflower seed packets at on of these events or at the Circulation Desk at the Brookings Public Library!

Pollinator Investigation Poster Display: Located on our display wall at the Brookings Public Library, the Pollinator Investigation posters explore the who, what, when, where, why, and how of pollination and the essential role that pollinators play in the natural world. Stop in to view the posters on our display wall!


These events are sponsored by a grant provided by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, PBS Nature, and the #PlantWildflowers Initiative. Thanks go to KF Designs for designing the new garden beds, to Elaine Fritz and Cathy Frederickson from the Brookings Area Master Gardeners for their help selecting plants for the garden beds and speaking at the Garden Kick-Off, and to Dr. Amanda Bachmann from SDSU Extension for facilitating our bee Q&A.

To find out more about the nationwide #PlantWildflowers campaign and additional upcoming pollinator-focused events, please visit www.mygardenofathousandbees.com/events

About PBS Nature
Nature pioneered a television genre that is now widely emulated in the broadcast industry, bringing the natural world to millions of viewers. The series has won more than 700 honors from the television industry, the international wildlife film communities and environmental organizations, including 20 Emmys and three Peabodys. Consistently among the most-watched primetime series on PBS, Nature continues to innovate through original digital programming and a commitment to converting viewers into doers. Nature’s award-winning website, PBS.ORG/NATURE, features full episodes, short films, digital series, behind-the-scenes content, news articles, educational resources and more. Nature is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including http://www.PBS.ORG and the PBS VIDEO APP, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS PASSPORT. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS PASSPORT FAQ website. Nature is a production of The WNET Group for PBS.

About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven production company that crafts exceptional films about science and scientists for broadcast, theatrical and digital distribution. As storytellers within a world class science organization, the studio is uniquely positioned to shine a light on some of the most significant scientific challenges and breakthroughs of our time. Recent films include Emmy Award-winners The Serengeti Rules and The Farthest – Voyager In Space; Emmy-nominated Nature’s Fear Factor; Peabody Award winner Inventing Tomorrow; Ric Burns’ critically acclaimed documentary feature Oliver Sacks – His Own Life; and the 2022 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary feature All That Breathes. To deepen the learning and extend the reach of each film project, the studio undertakes educational and public outreach efforts in partnership with mission-driven organizations.  For more information, please visit WWW.TANGLEDBANKSTUDIOS.ORG.

About Martin Dohrn and Passion Pictures  
To produce the documentary My Garden of a Thousand Bees, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn teamed up with producer and director David Allen at Passion Pictures. With two Academy Awards, Passion is at the forefront of documentary production specializing in both feature doc productions and landmark natural history productions. Martin Dohrn is an Emmy award-winning, three-time Bafta-nominated filmmaker who has been producing natural history films for more than 30 years. During this time, he has devised game-changing techniques in low-light and macro filming, allowing audiences remarkable new insights into the natural world. David Allen is a five-time Emmy award winner and is recognized as one of the leading directors in his field, creating inspiring range of science and natural history documentaries.  For more information, please visit WWW.PASSION-PICTURES.COM/WORK/SPECIALIST-FACTUAL.