Apr 28 | 6p | REGISTER FREE

• BEE PEOPLE | Frank Mortimer | BUY BOOK
• All registrants receive 10% off book purchase with code ‘EVENT’

Informative, hilarious, stingingly honest, and honey-sweet, BEE PEOPLE AND THE BUGS THEY LOVE is one man’s journey from bee-curious to Master Beekeeper, and how a childhood fascination of the industrious bee led the author to become a seasoned, certified master responsible for the productive survival of his own backyard hives.

Bumbling along from hobbyist to expert, Frank Mortimer –

aka “Frank the Bee Man” – learns the hard way about the frequently misunderstood, always rewarding pastime of cultivating bees, attending to and growing their colonies, and aiding them in honey production.

BEE PEOPLE swarms with buzzy facts about the seeming peculiarities of beekeepers by relating his own transformation and introducing you to his fellow beekeepers. Bees require commitment, practice, attention, and following the advice of more experienced beekeepers – which many “new-bees” fail to do.

As he takes his obsession to the next level on his way to becoming a certified Bee Person, Mortimer’s world quickly expands. His affinity for bees naturally extends to what blooms

in his backyard, how bees communicate (watch their waggling bee butts),

and following the unbreakable rules of beekeeping, gleaned over millennia.

There are quirks and perks to belonging to your local and international community of Bee People. At its core, beekeeping is about caring for other bee-ings. And it’s a big hive: bee people come from all walks of life and experiences, gathering in garden centers, libraries, coffee shops, and backyards in service to the healthy survival of the honeybee.

Beekeeping is connected to so many other related interests that the bee community is itself as complex as a hive, as interconnected and varied as types of bees are in relation to the natural world. In order to help them thrive and multiply, it requires an understanding of their profound impact on our environment.

Like Mortimer, you may one day be masterful enough to be asked to start an apiary at a local church – or observe a honey extraction procedure in a fledging Bee Person’s driveway that goes so wrong the local police are summoned (and stung).

BEE PEOPLE serves to inspire a new generation of bee-curious to learn more about the buzzy craft of beekeeping, while seasoned bee people will immediately recognize themselves, welts and all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank Mortimer is an adjunct instructor at the Cornell University Master Beekeeping Program, Vice President of the New Jersey State Beekeepers Association, and a Certified Master Beekeeper. His articles can be found in the widely circulated Bee Culture Magazine, the magazine for American beekeepers.

As president of the Northeast NJ Beekeepers Association—a position he has held since 2011—he has grown his club’s membership; aligned the Northeast NJ Beekeepers with Ramapo College; and founded the “Honey Cup,” an annual honey tasting competition.

Frank has promoted beekeeping throughout the Northeast with 140+ speaking engagements delivered to the non-beekeeping general public – from schools to gardening clubs to civic organizations. He has led beekeeping seminars across New Jersey and at The New York Botanical Garden.

Mortimer has successfully campaigned for his hometown of Ridgewood to become New Jersey’s first “Bee City USA.”

Learn more at www.beepeoplethebook.com

MODERATOR

Ariana Romero of the Chicago Honey Truck. ChicagoHoneyTruck’s story was started 15 years ago by a single mother named Maria Gutierrez. She would drive her little pickup truck to Michigan, and bring back fresh cut produce from farmers and sell it at Chicago Farmers Markets. Along the way she befriended a beekeeper and added the honey to her inventory. Over the years many Chicagoans fell in love with the honey and became recurring customers. With the demand of the beekeepers honey, Elijah and Ariana created what is now known as ChicagoHoneyTruck. A family owned business, providing Chicagoans with great quality honey directly from a trusted local beekeeper.

As seasons change, so does our honey, and we’re able to offer many different types. Such as Clover, Orange Blossom, Golden Rod, and many more. ChicagoHoneyTruck is always actively reaching out to Chicago communities, offering free honey tastings and educating those curious about the fascinating world of bees.