RAYMOND – The Hinds Community College Honors Institute and the Gamma Lambda chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society will host a[tweetable alt=””] free pollinator workshop 12:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in Reeves Hall, Room 165, on the Raymond Campus[/tweetable]. The event is open to the public.
Jeff Harris, a research professor and entomologist at Mississippi State University, will keynote the event. Harris is a bee specialist and is actively involved in the Mississippi Beekeepers Association. The program will include a program on pollinator gardens as well as a panel of metro-area beekeepers, who are encouraged to display and sell their products as part of the event. The conference is expected to conclude at 3:30 p.m.
The Honors Institute and Raymond Campus’ PTK chapter are sponsoring this workshop as part of this year’s Honors in Action Project, which encourages students to take community action in response to a topic of global interest.
Students in the program have been researching the importance of agricultural pollinators such as honeybees and environmental challenges they have faced in the 21st century. Honeybee populations have decreased significantly in recent years, and because bees are integral pollinators worldwide, many scientists see a need for protecting bee habitats and protecting them from manmade threats, such as certain insecticides. Hinds is happy to offer this workshop to increase awareness of pollinator issues in the community.