For the Washington Daily News

 

The Beaufort County Beekeepers graduated its first 15 Certified Beekeepers on April 26. The beekeeping club offered eight hours of instruction over the course of four sessions to prepare students for the written and practical exams to become Certified Beekeepers. Twenty-six people took the written portion of the exam.

The first group of students attended the practical exam, which was held at the home and apiary of Billy and Martha Baynor of Pantego. The exam was administered by Master Beekeeper Wayne Rose of Roper and Journeyman Beekeeper Marth Baynor.

The Beaufort County beekeepers proudly lists that names of its first 15 graduates who achieved the rank of Certified Beekeeper: Bobby and Leigh Tetterton, Christopher Hux, Bernard Van Essendelft Jr., Kim Ledoux, Catherine Major, William Waters, Robin Hodge, Barbara Mills, Mary Foreman, David Braswell, Wayne Correa, Madeleine Correa, Domenic Correa and Tom Garcia.

Many of the newly certified beekeepers said they were very happy to have the opportunity to learn about bees and to become a certified beekeeper. For most of the graduates, this is their first experience as beekeepers, and many now feel comfortable and prepared to start keeping bees. Many will begin their apiaries in the coming weeks.

“This program has been very informative and educational,” said one new graduate. “I’m so glad I saw the article in the newspaper about the beekeeping course,” said another. Mary Foreman, the first graduate, encouraged others to “Come to the meetings and explore the hobby of beekeeping; it has sweet benefits!” Mary also said, “Beekeeping is not difficult to learn, and the club members are very supportive and helpful.”

The youngest of the certified beekeepers in the group is 10 years old. Madeleine Correa attended the training with her mother (Tina), father (Wayne), and older brother Domenic, 13. The Correas said “We saw the flyer and article in the paper and thought this would be something we could do as a family and learn about bees and nature.” Tina Correa said that the kids would discuss things they learned in class amongst themselves without them being prompted. The Correa also added “It was nice that the training was available free of charge because it provided a risk-free way to learn more and decided if beekeeping was something we wanted to explore further.”

While Tina Correa did not take the exam, she is very interested and involved. She is happy that Wayne and Madeleline are Certified Beekeepers, and that Domenic will also join the ranks as soon he completes the written exam.

The graduates gave many reasons for wanting to learn more about bees and beekeeping. For some, it was because their parents or family members had bees years ago. For others, it has been a life-long interest. All the graduates also understand how important bees are to our food supply and know that while this may be simply a hobby, for most, it is a also way to help with local food production and ecosystem strength.

The Certified Beekeeper title is the entry level of the Master Beekeeping program organized and managed by the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association. This program is said to be the largest of its kind in the United States.

“While you do not have to be a Certified Beekeeper to keep bees, it is good way to add to personal credibility, and is a mark of personal achievement,” said Tom Garcia.

Garcia is the president of the Beaufort County Beekeepers and he pleased to graduate with the first group of Certified Beekeepers from the club.

“It is great to see how excited and proud our students are. I’m glad to be able to provide people with an opportunity to learn and achieve a dream,” Garcia said.“I’m proud to be a beekeeper and be a part of an ancient tradition.”

The Beaufort County Beekeepers plans to hold another beekeeping course, though the dates are yet undetermined. However, the organization invites anyone who is interested in learning about bees and beekeeping to attend the monthly meetings. The club meets on the first Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at the Beaufort County Agriculture building (155-A Airport Rd) in Washington. For more information visit the club website https://sites.google.com/site/ beaufortcountybeekeepers  or email beaucobeekeepers@gmail.com.