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Community Corner

Honey Bees Get Their Day

Menlo Park city arborist Brian Henry organized an event for Tuesday’s city council meeting declaring August 17 as National Honey Bee Day in Menlo Park.

Mayor Peter Ohtaki made it official with a declaration.

Beekeepers Guild of San Mateo County member Gwyn Murray gave a presentation to raise awareness for honey bees and their importance to all the people of Menlo Park.

Henry also gave a short talk and presented council members with small jars of honey that he got from a swarm he hived across the street from Murray, which is now being maintained on city property.

One of the Guild’s missions, according to Guild member Nickie Irvine, is to help coordinate the Bee Legal project, which wants to create a welcoming climate for bees and beekeeping on the Peninsula, and to work for ordinance change where needed.  

Menlo Park is one of 14 (out of 21) jurisdictions in San Mateo County where beekeeping is legal, so we would love to highlight their positive actions to support bees and beekeeping, demonstrating that bees and people can coexist, as they do in San Francisco where it is also legal.

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