Bring your bee houses that have been out for the growing season and we will learn how to harvest the cocoons of our native mason bees, and do that harvesting together. We will identify any pests and parasites that we encounter, learn how to clean the cocoons properly leaving the houses ready for the spring. We will also learn how to store the cocoons safely over the winters, any trouble shooting and how to release the bees again in spring. Instructor Bio: Emony Nicholls has worked as an environmental consultant, entrepreneur and biologist for the last 25 years. She owned and operated a native plant nursery in Ontario supplying plants for ecological restoration projects. She fell in love with native pollinators through her graduate research on the relationship between pollinators and plants which drives the evolution of plants. She is now on a mission to empower homeowners on how to support our ecosystems by easily providing habitat in their own back yards. She recently left work with the provincial government as a biologist and now lives and works on Salt Spring Island. Ticket Info This workshop is happening in person only. Please dress appropriately for all types of weather, the workshop will be in our minimally heated strawbale building and in the gardens. If you are a member and wish to use your workshop credits toward this series, please get in touch and we can process over the phone or over email (office@compost.bc.ca). There are a limited number of Pay What You Can tickets available for folks who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), and people who are facing significant financial barriers to their involvement in our programming. The Compost Education Centre is continually in the process of examining the ways in which our program accessibility can be improved for all members of our community. This ticket gesture is by no means a fulsome examination of the systems of oppression that exist for people inside and outside of our community. We welcome your ideas and feedback. You must pre-register for this event. You can purchase a ticket through Eventbrite. You can also register for the event by calling our office at 250 386 9676 or via email by contacting office@compost.bc.ca Customers can receive a full refund (less the Eventbrite processing fee) up to 7 days before the workshop. Customers who request a refund less than 7 days before the workshop can request to switch their ticket to a different workshop if tickets are available. To request a refund or switching your ticket, email office@compost.bc.ca VERY IMPORTANT: Please be in touch if you are no longer able to attend but hold a ticket so we can make your space available to someone else. Accessibility The Compost Education Centre site has flat paths made of woodchips. The strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp and has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside everything is flat. There is a single-stall gender neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a steep ramp from the wood chip pathway onto the washroom boardwalk, and a 2-inch step up from the washroom boardwalk into the washroom.