As I drove to the event to join Andrew Munkres, with whom I would work at the Vermont Beekeepers Association table, I anticipated we would get soaked raising Andrew’s pop-up tent and carrying display items from our cars to the tables under the tent. To my delight, the organizers and the Shelburne Farm hosts had prepared for the rain. They had secured several indoor spaces that would comfortably shelter attendees and provide space for the day’s events.
The organizers placed the VBA’s table next to Ross Conrad’s. Andrew and Ross are both past presidents of the VBA and are both experienced, expert beekeepers.
Since I’ve been keeping bees for only ten years and have never had more than two colonies, I always feel anxious representing the VBA to people who have questions about bees and beekeeping. I felt none of that with Andrew and Ross nearby.
The day passed quickly. At our table Andrew patiently answered all questions that came his way, while I did what I could and was relieved and delighted to pass on to him what I couldn’t.
Our table had two notable attractions: an opportunity to sample some different honeys from our Vermont Honey members and a chance to spot the queen in Andrew’s observation hive.
Everyone who tasted the various honeys said how easy it was to distinguish one from another. To those accustomed to the “pure honey” sold in most stores, the differences among the Vermont honeys were a revelation, a delicious one.
Many drawn to the observation hive stayed for five, ten, fifteen minutes, trying to spot the green-marked queen and fascinated by what the bees were doing. Children were especially excited to see what was going on behind the glass, and their parents were just as excited.
Attendees heard three 20-minutes talks in the late morning and chose among several workshops in the afternoon.
The day ended at about 4 PM, but the rain and the wind hadn’t ended. That leaves me to hope that in June 2026, the third Vermont Pollinator Celebration Day will be held on a glorious and summery Vermont day, so people won’t be burdened by umbrellas, rubber boots, and hooded jackets, and that the more than 350 species of Vermont bees and other pollinators will be out and about.
One final note — late in the day, Andrew and I recalled that at the 2024 Vermont Pollinator Celebration Day, Bill Mares answered people’s questions at the VBA table. It was the last VBA event that Bill participated in. His participation was as energetic, as earnest, and as full of good humor as it was in everything he did in the VBA. Andrew and I talked about how much we miss Bill, how much Bill meant to anyone who knew him.