By Kelly Pearce
Students gathered in the depths of the Viking Union, tucked away in a meeting room as the Friday evening grew darker and cast gray clouds over the bay. However, Western’s Bee Club was anything but dreary.
The atmosphere of the club was inviting as members arrived and began talking about their agenda for the evening.
The club’s overall goals are to help the environment and its inhabitants stay healthy, especially their black and yellow namesake.
“We strive to be true friends of the Earth,” according to their club description.
As a brand-new club, this was only the second meeting since becoming official in fall 2017, so there wasn’t a ton of bee-talk.
Instead, club officers Alexis Bryson, Gracie Lane and Sarah Taylor led the group meeting with a set of opening questions to get to know one another better.
(Pictured from left to right in the shared photo files) Western Bee Club members Justin Holmes, Maddy Hill, Gracie Lane, Sarah Taylor, Alexis Bryson, Kellie Roscoe and Katy Caskey pose in front of a slideshow they prepared for their second club meeting in Viking Union. // Photo by Kelly Pearce
The first meeting included why they founded the club, goals for the quarter and having a bee-savvy Outback Farm representative speak to members.
The Outback, is a program run by Western’s AS and Fairhaven College on a five-acre farm and wetland restoration site located south of Fairhaven Residences, according to the Associated Students website.
Toward the end of the meeting, they announced their first event: helping at the Bellingham Heirloom Seed Swap.
At this swap, anyone can bring seeds from their own gardens to trade with other attendees and create a “city-wide community garden,” or bring in the spoils of their garden to share.
The Bee Club will be hosting the children’s booth at the event with hopscotch, a giant tic-tac-toe game, gardening/insect books, bug-mask coloring and a color-by-number mural.
If you like games, swaps or seeds this event may be right up your alley.
The event is from 1:30-5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11.
The Bee Club meets in VU 460 from 5-6:15 p.m. every other Friday. The next meeting is scheduled for February 9.
If their second meeting is any indication, it’s bound to be one buzzy quarter for these earth-loving bee-enthusiasts.
Every Tuesday this quarter, a Western Front reporter will shed light on a Western club. If you would like your club to be featured, email rahwahaile.westernfront@gmail.com
