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FLINT, Michigan, April 11, 2017 – Come see what all the buzz is about at the 2017 Bee Symposium!

After a yearlong hiatus, the Bee Symposium is back and features an all-star lineup of expert speakers prepared to dish out the latest information about the status of honeybees and how to care for various types of pollinators.

The free event is from 5-8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 17 at the Regional Technology Center at Mott Community College, 1401 E. Court St. in Flint. The event is cosponsored by the Ruth Mott Foundation and MCC.

Attendees will see live bees in action at observation hives, and will be able to purchase honey, bee keeping supplies, bee products and Michigan native plants. In addition to honeybees, the symposium will feature information on bumblebees, blue orchard bees and others.

This is the sixth symposium since it began in 2011 to provide critical resources and information about pollinators and to help raise awareness about the drop in the world’s honeybee population.

Meghan Milbrath, an academic specialist in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, will speak at about 7:20 p.m. on the plight of honeybees and deliver a 2017 honeybee status update.

Ben Phillips, MSU Extension Vegetable Crop Educator, will discuss Michigan native bees at 6 p.m. and Abi Saeed, MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Instructor & Master Gardener Coordinator, will discuss the best plants for pollinators at about 6:40 p.m.

“The plight of bees impacts human beings across the globe,” said Mike Belco, integrated pest management specialist for the Ruth Mott Foundation at Applewood Estate. “We want to educate people about what bees need to thrive and foster respect for everything bees do for our planet, particularly as it relates to our food system.”

The symposium is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required to attend the speakers portion of the program because space is limited. A light meal will be provided.

For more information or to RSVP, call MCC at 810-762-0455.