Michael Studer, Tennessee State Apiarist and Apiculturist, will be speaking on the importance of bees and conservation at Cleveland State Community College on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 3 p.m. in the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center Theater.
The presentation is part of a seminar series sponsored by the Greg A. Vital Center for Natural Resources and Conservation, the first named academic program at the college.
“Since pollinators are so important in the environment, I thought this would be a great way to start off this seminar series.” stated Robert Brewer, Associate Professor of Biology. “Mike is a good speaker; everyone will get something out of this. Most places usually charge for him, so this is a great opportunity to hear him speak at no charge. The community can attend for free.”
According to Mr. Brewer, this is just one of four events the Vital Center will host this year. In addition to Studer, the college will also have another seminar in February, a set of high school competitions in November and Conservation Day in May.
Mr. Studer is currently an apiarist and apiculturist for the State of Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer and Industry Services. Some of Studer’s responsibilities include colony inspection, entry permits, moving colonies, pollination list, apiary registration, County or Area Beekeeping Associations Apiary Inspection Grants, collaborative research and education with the State Apiculturist and other regulatory issues.
“Basically, I’m responsible for all the honeybees in the state of Tennessee,” stated Studer. “Trying to keep them alive, trying to make sure there are no disease problems, regulating bees coming in and going out and moving within the state.”
Mr. Studer continued, “I’m looking forward to speaking at CSCC. I enjoy talking to lots of different groups. I try to tailor the talk according to the group and what they want. When someone needs me, if I can work it into my schedule, I’ll do it. I like to talk about the importance of bees, how they are used in agriculture and aren’t just important for producing our food—they are responsible for producing things like hay and other crops. They pollenate clover, alfalfa, things like that. They pollenate things in the forest and help wildlife. They do a lot of good for everything.”
For more information on the seminar series sponsored by the Vital Center, contact Mr. Brewer at (423) 472-7141, ext. 342.