The welcomed an addition this spring: two bee hives in an apiary on the south side of the Center for Urban Horticulture. The new hives are tended by , a program manager at the 91̽»¨â€™s Continuum College who, together with 91̽»¨Farm manager , re-launched the farm’s beekeeping program in early 2023.Ìý

Sahl is a volunteer beekeeper for now, observing the bees and preparing the hives for cooler weather. In the coming school year, he hopes to instruct students interested in bee science, sharing his deep interest in the role they play in the natural world.

On a Friday in August, Sahl gently applied smoke to calm a colony, then opened what looked like a stack of painted wood boxes to reveal layers of insect activity — each box designed for different manifestations of a bee’s work. The bottom boxes, called brood boxes, house the queen bee and provide a nursery for the eggs she lays and food for the larvae as they grow. The top boxes hold panels where bees create wax hexagons and fill them with honey. The panels provide easy access to the sweet comb built on the frame.Ìý

Sahl harvested some honey early in the summer — a light colored honey made when bees were visiting blackberry blooms. The remaining honey will be left to feed the bees during the winter. Sahl checks the bees regularly for parasites; Varroa mites are one of the most serious threats to bee health.Ìý

Acworth says people are curious about bees, and the hives will serve as a teaching tool for students who want to know more about agriculture and the function of pollinators in the ecosystem. Two courses where students will work with the bees are being offered this fall: Urban Farm Class 240 and a new ‘Soil to Seed to Snack’ Path to 91̽»¨course.Ìý

91̽»¨Botanic Gardens manages the apiary, and bee-related farm programs are supported by the 91̽»¨School of Public Health/Nutritional Sciences Program, 91̽»¨College of the Environment, 91̽»¨Housing and Food Services and individual donors.Ìý

The welcomed an addition this spring: two bee hives in an apiary on the south side of the Center for Urban Horticulture. More:

— 91̽»¨News (@uwnews)

Pumpkins are part of a large and varied family. TheÌýcucurbitaceae family includes melons, cucumbers and squash as well as the orange pumpkin that we’re accustomed to seeing around Halloween.

, 91̽»¨Farm manager, talks in this video about the different varieties of winter squash — from the palm-sized pie pumpkin to Cucurbita maxima, which can produce giant pumpkins.

In addition to ample water, sun, good soil and genetics, farmers encourage the growth of giant pumpkins by removing most of the pumpkins on a vine and allowing the plant to focus its energy on just a few fruit. A pumpkin blossom also needs to be visited an average of 10 times by a pollinator to form a fruit. For that reason, Ìýplants sunflowers among its pumpkin rows to attract bees.

Acworth said that most pumpkins are edible, though the smallest varieties are usually the tastiest. Pumpkins also make great feed for livestock, and the seeds can even have medicinal qualities for humans.

“In other parts of the world, ground pumpkin seeds are used as a natural parasitic,” she explained.

Acworth recommends roasting pumpkin seeds for an autumnal snack — that is, if you aren’t saving them to grow your own pumpkins next year. She thinks cucurbitaceae are among the easiest plant family to grow and encourages people to try growing pumpkin, squash or zucchini at home.

Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All 91̽»¨faculty, staff, and students have access toÌý.Ìý

Earth Day 50th Anniversary: Gaia Has a Fever

April 22, 2:00 PMÌý| Livestream

Join the Department of History, College of the EnvironmentÌýand 91̽»¨Earth Day in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.ÌýDr. Jennifer Thomson will give a talkÌýuntangling the history of oil corporations, climate justice, and environmentalÌýgovernance. Beginning with physicist James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, she’ll discuss the involvement of oil corporations in climate research, and explore a trulyÌýliberatory environmental politics.

Free, please register for accessÌý|Ìý

COURSE:ÌýIntroduction to Basic Plant Morphology – Learning the Parts of the Plant

April 22 and April 23, 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Online Classroom

Celebrate Earth Day by expanding your plant vocabulary!ÌýDavid Giblin, Collections Manager of the 91̽»¨Herbarium,Ìýteaches this two-part class. Learning the basic vegetative and reproductive parts of vascular plants that we know from our gardens, kitchens, and walks in nature, provides an opportunity to improve plant identification skills.

This class is offered online. Viewing instructions will be sent before the start of the class.

Cost is $20Ìý|ÌýRegister & More Info

After the Blast The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens: Webinar with Dr. Eric Wagner

April 22, 10:00 – 11:30 AM | Zoom Webinar

In anticipation of the 40th Anniversary of the major Mount St. Helens eruption, 91̽»¨Libraries and 91̽»¨Press are proud to host a zoom webinar featuring Eric Wagner, Ph.D., author of After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens.

Since it’s eruption in 1980,ÌýMount St. Helens has been surprising ecologists and in After the Blast,ÌýWagner takes readers on a fascinating journey through the blast area and beyond. From fireweed to elk, the plants and animals forest scientists saw would not just change how ecologists approached the eruption and its landscape, but also prompt them to think in new ways about how life responds in the face of seemingly total devastation.

Free, please register for accessÌý|ÌýRegister & More Info

Ask Your Farmer!

April 23, 11:00 AM |

The 91̽»¨Farm is still producing food, but under restricted operations and without the usual dedicated crew of student volunteers. Farm manager Perry Acworth will host this Instagram Live session, showing the work that’s happening on the 91̽»¨Farm and answering questions about the Farm and our food systems. If anyone has questions on how they can grow food for themselves, this is your moment!

Livestream takes place on and will begin at 11 AM.

FreeÌý|ÌýMore Info

Virtual Poetry Café for Poetry Month

Month of April | Online engagement

Since launching in April 1996,ÌýNational Poetry MonthÌýhas given people an annual occasion to celebrate the importance of poets and poetry in our culture. This April feels like an especially great time to explore the power of poetry and how it can be used to craft connection and celebrate the things that mean most to us!

Join Whole U this April for a virtualÌý 91̽»¨Poetry CaféÌýto share the poems we love, write some of our own, and connect with our wider community over the written word.ÌýTo help get your creativity flowing, The Whole U devised UW-themed poetry prompts to try on your own or with colleagues and friends.

Pick the prompt that resonates most with you then share your favorite poems or original compositions with us by sending them toÌýwholeu@uw.eduÌýor by tagging themÌý#UWPoetryMonthÌýon social media.

FreeÌý|

Crossing North Podcast

Ongoing | Online

Crossing NorthÌýis a podcast about Nordic and Baltic society and culture. Episodes feature interviews with authors, performers, and leaders from Scandinavia and the Baltic, as well as discussions with faculty in the Scandinavian Studies Department and Baltic Studies Program.

In the most recent episode, released April 15, Colin Gioia Connors interviews author Nora Ikstena andÌýassistant professor Liina-Ly Roos. Learn why Ikstena’s novelÌýSoviet Milk about Soviet-occupied Latvia was so popular that libraries had to create a special loan policy for the book.

Missing the Henry? View the online collection!

Ongoing |Ìý

From photography to textiles, the Henry Art Gallery’s permanent collection contains more than 27,00 objects from around the world.Ìý The collection originated with the gift of nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings donated to the 91̽»¨ byÌýHorace C. HenryÌýin 1926. It has grown over the years through acquisitions from exhibitions and through the generosity of art collectors, artists, and donors.

Luckily for those looking to reconnect with art while working remote, the Henry has an extensiveÌýthe online collection database. Learn more and .

Looking for more ways to engage? The Henry is also sharing content across their social media platforms daily!

| |

#BurkeFromHome Trivia Night

Every Friday, 8:00 PMÌý|ÌýVirtual Event

Join the Burke Museum online on Fridays at 8 PM for #BurkeFromHome Trivia. The popular Burke Trivia Night is back—this time online to practice social distancing while having loads of fun! Get your nerd on with natural history and culture-themed trivia.

BYOB, snacks, and slippers! Check out for a preview!

Free, please register for accessÌý|

Staying home? Here’s what to watch

Ongoing | Your favorite streaming service

Looking for ways to stay entertained while staying at home?ÌýIf you’ve already binged all the shows in your Netflix queue, fear not. Faculty in the Department of Cinema & Media StudiesÌýhave gathered television and film recommendations to fit every mood.

Looking for more?

Check out UWAA’s Stronger Together web page forÌýmore digital engagement opportunities.