Free Seminar: Pollinators – A Critical Link in Your Food Chain

Did you know that without the help of insects, you would not be able to enjoy apples, blueberries, coffee, almonds and a host of other delicious foods? The Community Council of the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center invites you to a free seminar entitled, “Pollinators – A Critical Link in Your Food Supply.” This seminar will be held on Friday, September 25th, at 10 A.M, at the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center. The Center is located on Hwy 19/129, three miles south of the Blairsville town square. The GMRE Center was formerly known as the Experiment Station. No pre-registration is necessary for this seminar.
Pollinators are essential to the quality diets we enjoy in the developed world. However, they are a finite resource and there is evidence that pollinators are imperiled from exotic diseases, habitat loss, and intensive management practices. This lecture will overview the place of pollinators in agriculture and steps concerned landowners can take to encourage local populations.
Our Speaker, Dr. Keith Delaplane, is a professor and extension entomologist with the University of Georgia.  He received his Master’s degree and his Ph.D. in Entomology from Louisiana State University. He is Program Director of UGA’s Honey Bee Program and a co-Founder of the Young Harris College Beekeeping Institute. Dr. Delaplane is the author of First Lessons in Beekeeping and creator of the award-winning television series, Honeybees and Beekeeping: A Year in the Life of an Apiary. Currently, he is working to find a solution to the Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder. He received a beginner’s beekeeping kit for his 13th birthday, and his interest in all things bugs has been growing ever since.
This seminar is the 67th in a series of seminars sponsored by the Outreach Committee of the Community Council. The Community Council was formed in 2003 to expand the outreach and service of the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center to the mountain region. To fulfill this purpose, volunteers work through three program committees – Preservation, Education and Outreach. The Outreach Committee began offering free seminars in 2004. Since that first seminar, more than 4,800 adults have benefited from these seminars. The operating budget of the Community Council is funded by gifts from friends through an annual campaign.
If you would like to receive seminar notices by email, send your online request, name and phone number to: gmrec@uga.edu. For more information about our programs, please visit our website: http://gmrec.uga.edu.
Program Details
No pre-registration is necessary.
DATE: Friday, September 25, 2009
TIME: Doors open at 9 A.M. Seating is limited to the first 100 in attendance.
Program 10:00 to 11:45 A.M.
PLACE: Auditorium, GMRE Center