Glasgow Seed School

Plants and Pollinators

Sat 9 July 2022

Tickets no longer available

Relaxed event

A person with brown hands lifts a frame of honeycomb out of a bee hive.

A beekeeper inspects their hive

What is pollination? Why is it necessary for seed-saving? And what role do bees, butterflies and other insects play?

Come along for a two-part workshop made up of an introduction to beekeeping by Daniel MacGhee and a guide to butterfly identification by Isobel O’Donovan.

Take a stroll through the garden and explore the habitat of butterflies and moths, identify our local species, and learn which flowers to sow to attract pollinators. Then, open up a hive to discover the busy lives and habits of honeybees, and how to take care of a colony.

The workshop will close with a discussion about the importance of pollinators and ways we can protect and support them in our gardens.

Protective bee suits will be provided for participants. Please bring water and a snack or packed lunch for when we take a short break in the garden.

Isobel O'Donovan hunts for butterflies with a camera in a large meadow

Isobel O'Donovan, butterfly spotting in a meadow

About the contributors

Isobel O'Donovan is an Irish artist and writer living in Glasgow. She has had a fascination with butterflies and moths since childhood. Having undertaken training with Butterfly Conservation Scotland, she is excited to share this passion with others.

Daniel MacGhee is a back garden hobbyist beekeeper with six hives in East Dunbartonshire. This year is his seventh season of beekeeping. He works as a general medical practitioner for Glasgow Health Board's Out of Hours service.

Glasgow Seed School is a slow season of free workshops, talks and events. It aims to nurture seed stewardship and help growers build climate, food and community resilience. It is organised by Glasgow Seed Library, in collaboration with friends and partner organisations across the city.

A small purple butterfly with black spots on its wings perches on a branch.

Accessibility

Please let us know about any allergies before attending. We will have an epi-pen on site but if you know you are allergic to bee stings, we recommend you do not attend this workshop. We recommend that everyone attending the workshop brings an antihistamine tablet which will reduce any reaction to a bee sting.

We are afraid that this workshop is not wheelchair accessible. There is a composting toilet on site. If you would like further details, or have other access requests, please email glasgowseedlibrary@cca-glasgow.com.