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Bay Area Bee Fair on Oct. 13: The Place to 'Bee'
It's a fair. It's a party. It's a pollinator party. It's the Bay Area Bee Fair in Berkeley. And...
Black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, nectaring on nectarine blossoms. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, nectaring on Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A black-tailed bee, Bombus californicus, nectaring on blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, and honey bee, Apis mellifera, sharing a purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Robbin Thorp Began His Career Studying Honey Bees and Almonds
Yes, he began his career studying honey bees. The late Robbin Thorp, the renowned UC Davis...
A honey bee packing pollen and nectaring on an almond blossom at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
In his retirement, Robbin Thorp co-authored two books, "Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide" and "California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Robbin Thorp (left), legendary authority on bees, shows UC Davis alumnus Alex Wild the "Miss Bee Haven" sculpture in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's bee garden on Bee Biology Road. Wild, who received his doctorate in entomology at UC Davis, is the curator of entomology at the University of Texas, Austin. This image was taken in 2008. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Butterfly and the Bee
It's a strikingly beautiful insect. But in its larval stage, the alfalfa butterfly, Colias...
An alfalfa butterfly, Colias eurytheme, sips nectar from an African blue basil blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee shadows an alfalfa butterfly, Colias eurytheme, on African blue basil. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two can get along: the alfalfa butterfly and the honey bee. In its larval stage, this butterfly is a pest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Worthy Cause: A Water Bear Sculpture
If you're looking for a worthy cause to support during the giving season (and as a bonus, receive a...
An artist's sketch of the proposed tardigrade sculpture in front of the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
Noble Orchards in Paradise needs your help - pick some apples!
Noble Orchards in Paradise, California is the last remaining apple orchard in Butte County. This family business, with close to a hundred years of history, lost almost everything in the Camp fire last year, including all the infrastructure, buildings, fences, ladders, tools, boxes, scales and other things needed to maintain the orchard. But, miraculously, the apple orchards survived the fire.
The bloom was strong this spring. The native bees happily pollinated all the apples. Now the apple trees are heavily laden with fruit ready to pick. Farm owners Jim and Laurie Noble are inviting the public to come to the farm to pick the apples. There are about 80,000 pounds of crisp, delicious apples remaining on the trees.
Here is their message:
JOIN US THIS Wednesday, October 9 (or next Wed - Fri, Oct. 16-18) - 8:30 AM TO 4:00 PM
TO U-PICK
No Charge - donations welcome
Noble Orchards: 7050 Pentz Road, Paradise, CA 95969
"We welcome one and all to come pick our large bounty of fruit this season. As most everyone knows the apple orchards survived the Camp Fire, the infrastructure needed to manage harvesting fruit is 100% missing.
Thank you to our trees for carrying on production without our assistance. No cultural practices were used to help produce tasty, sweet and crunchy apples. With all that said, please come and get them.
OUR RULES: BE SAFE!!!
1.Closed toed shoes and long pants for everyone.
2 No running anywhere and no one climbing in our fruit trees.
3. Bring containers to haul fruit home, picking sticks to reach high fruit, wagons etc to move fruit from orchards.
4. Take all you can possibly use, share with others who are unable to pick themselves, take apples to local food programs, use them as you please, make a gift basket for all the fall fundraisers, most importantly enjoy the bounty you pick!
5. Offer to volunteer here at the farm. We need a lot of assistance both picking now as well as pruning and cleaning up the orchards this fall and winter. Sign up at the farm when you visit
JOIN US THIS Wednesday, October 9 - 8:30 AM TO 4:00 PM
TO U-PICK
No open picking next weekend. The Sierra Oro Farm Trail is a ticketed event we will host both Sat 10/12 and 10/13. Tickets are available at Sierra Oro Farm Trail 2019. Get yours TODAY.
U-Pick will be open again Wednesday - Friday October, 16, 17 and 18.
For more information, updates and future U-Pick dates, see the Noble Orchard Facebook page
