January Happenings
Tomorrow, Thursday the 15th, we’ll be holding our first general meeting of 2026. Our featured speaker is Dianne Richards, President of the Seacoast Beekeepers Association of NH. Join us for an informative discussion on the importance of pollinators and learn the best plants to plant for each season.
Why pollinators matter: Pollinators are essential to our food systems and ecosystems. About 75% of global food crops depend at least partially on animal pollination, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Beyond agriculture, they’re critical for wild plant reproduction, which sustains entire ecosystems and the wildlife that depends on them.
The diversity of pollinators: While bees often get the spotlight, pollinators include butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, hummingbirds, bats, and even some mammals like lemurs. Each plays unique roles—for example, bats pollinate agave (used for tequila) and many tropical fruits, while flies are crucial pollinators in cooler climates where bees are less active.
Dianne will have a “hands on” demonstration of a nucleus colony box. Don’t worry! She won’t have any bees with her.
January is the month we review the frivolity that took place at Betsy’s Holiday Swap Shop Party. As always, the party was a full house of enthusiastic members anxious to find out what treasures awaited them in the room full of gift bags Betsy had prepared. Aside from many laughs, and a few gasps, everyone enjoyed an exceptional choice of sweet and savory treats and Betsy’s fabulous holiday decorations. Here’s a quick overview of the festivities.
Our Civic Beautification committee did a wonderful job of decorating various Stratham locations for the Holidays. The Stratham Historical Society received one of Ellen J’s spectacular wreaths, along with some festive pots for the front entry which were designed by Kathy M, Ellen and Lee C. They were inspired by swap shop items and called their style “organic tinsel”. Lee also provided one of her lovely arrangements for the Stratham Open House and Mel M. oversaw the placement of wreaths at the Stratham Veteran’s Memorial.
Programs of Interest
We received an email from the Native Plant Trust. They are looking for volunteers to join their organization in order to help search areas for natives to monitor the population change. If interested, see www.nativeplanttrust.org
January 27 | 7:00 – 8:15pm. “What You Choose to Plant Can Help Massachusetts’ Rare Bees . . . Or Not”. Presented by Sam Droege, Wildlife Biologist at the USGS Bee Lab. Online via Zoom; free.
Native bees have a 150 million year history with blooming plants. Not unexpectedly it has gotten complex. Many bees are extremely picky about the flowers they gather pollen and nectar from. We will explore this pickiness and also point out that many of the most uncommon bees are specialists and simply planting more of their pollen plants can be the type of conservation that each of us can do in our backyards. REGISTER
February 11 | 7:00 – 8:30pm. “From Wasteland to Wonder” By Basil Camu, Author, From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape. ONLINE via Zoom: free.
The way we currently manage our suburban and urban landscapes is creating an ecological wasteland. Fortunately, we have an alternative path: by working with natural systems instead of against them, we have the power to help Earth heal. REGISTER
Photos by LuAnn F, Mel M, & Lee C