Sun Hive Workshop

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Sun Hive making workshop Ahead of our ‘Day of the Bee’ on Saturday 22 April, we are offering the opportunity to attend a Sun Hive making workshop led by Rachel Hanney, skep maker and trustee of The Natural Beekeeping Trust. This workshop, which is open to experienced beekeepers and beginners alike, will take place over three days and involves the weaving of the two skep baskets which comprise the form of the Sun Hive. The Sun Hive is a key element of the Natural Beekeeping Trust’s commitment to bee-centred apiculture and is an ideal conservation hive for our pollinating friends, the honeybees. Although one may be favoured with some surplus honey from time to time, honey ‘production’ is not the purpose of the hive. The Sun Hive comprises of two skep baskets woven from biodynamic rye straw with wooden support structures (curved top bars) and is intended to be installed at a (covered) height of at least 2.5 metres (8 feet). The shape of the hive harmonises with the movement gesture of the bee colony and enables the bees to design their brood nests according to their own innate criteria. The hive was designed by German sculptor, Guenther Mancke, and represents the fruits of many years of research into the nature of the honeybee colony. All materials, including a set of wooden hive parts will be provided, and participants will leave with their own complete Sun Hive. Participants should wear comfortable shoes as the workshop will involve lots of standing and layered clothing. Close fitting gardening gloves may be useful. Please note: this is a hive making workshop not a beekeeping course and a basic understanding of bee biology is desirable. Timings: Monday 17 April 2017: 2 pm – 6 pm Tuesday 18 April 2017: 8 am – 6 pm Wednesday 19 April 2017: 8 am – 2 pm Ticket price includes lunch in the Roth Bar & Grill on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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