Hillside artist Adelai van Loggerenberg held a workshop with the Melton Men’s shed to encourage buzzing buddies into local backyards for World Bee Day on Saturday, May 20.
The 1.5 hour workshop taught guests about local native insects and habitat structure, and taught them to build their very own native bee hotel to take home.
The bee hotels are structures made out of natural materials that sit in your garden to attract certain species of solitary bees to nest in.
van Loggerenberg said that different species prefer different densities of wood or bamboo, and like different sized holes to crawl into, but they all need to be placed in a sunny place without too much wind or rain, with nearby vegetation that can provide nectar.
van Loggerenberg was joined by environmental educators Uta Meyer, and Sam Poker for the event
The event also complimented van Loggerenberg’s current exhibition, Pyrrhic Victory, at Melton Library and Learning Hub.
The paintings in Pyrrhic Victory explore the relationship between human development and the natural environment, with a central focus on wildlife habitat for all creatures big and small.
van Loggerenberg said she was “very excited” to host her first public workshop and engage with the local community to provide ideas for people to participate in the promotion of local wildlife.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to raise issues around the environment and encourage positive actions community members can undertake in their own backyards,” she said.
Liam McNally
