Teller Connections are Creating Quite a Buzz
As winter arrives and my beekeeping tasks slow down for the season, I can’t help but send a huge "Thanks!" for Teller Wildlife Refuges’ generous contributions to the beekeeping community. Seven years ago, Teller provided the Corvallis High School FFA with a safe place for six bee hives within walking distance of their classroom. With the help of "Beekeepers of the Bitterroot," the Corvallis students have been maintaining and inspecting their honey bee colonies with much success. The future looks even brighter than the past, thanks to Teller’s special 10-acre pollinator plot that has already had a very significant and positive impact upon native pollinators and honey bees.
This year, thanks to the healthy habitat of at Teller Wildlife Refuge, students harvested approximately 115 pounds of surplus honey from the Teller hives. Students sell the honey at fundraisers that finance their many educational trips, including the exciting opportunity to attend the Future Farmers of America national competition in Indianapolis. The education and enthusiasm students gain from observing Teller’s managed refuge, studying the biology and life cycles of the bees, inspecting them, and finally harvesting and selling the honey makes a huge difference.