Jaime Pawelek
I have been studying and learning about the many wonders of native bees since 2006 when I started working in the Urban Bee Lab at UC Berkeley. Dr. Gordon Frankie sparked an interest I had no idea existed, and from there I was hooked! I have traveled all over California and have studied its diverse bees in many different gardens, including arboretum and botanic gardens, cemetery gardens, private home gardens, parks, and community gardens. Working in these diverse landscapes and being a gardener myself, I have combined my expertise on bees and their needs, with my knowledge of native and ornamental plants. I have designed bee gardens throughout the Bay Area ranging from small school plots, backyards, and even large experimental gardens.
I am currently studying Western Herbalism with Cheryl Fromholzer (Gathering Thyme) and I also manager one of her medicinal herb gardens in Kentfield. I am excited to meld my knowledge of bee-friendly plants with medicinal herb plants in order to create beautiful pollinator-friendly healing gardens.
I've also recently been honing my taxonomic skills, and am strengthening my ability to identify bees, no easy task when there are over 1,600 species in CA alone! I have also worked in Florida, conducting a 2 year survey of native bees along NE FL's coast, and have travelled to Costa Rica to learn more about their interesting and diverse bees.
I am currently studying Western Herbalism with Cheryl Fromholzer (Gathering Thyme) and I also manager one of her medicinal herb gardens in Kentfield. I am excited to meld my knowledge of bee-friendly plants with medicinal herb plants in order to create beautiful pollinator-friendly healing gardens.
I've also recently been honing my taxonomic skills, and am strengthening my ability to identify bees, no easy task when there are over 1,600 species in CA alone! I have also worked in Florida, conducting a 2 year survey of native bees along NE FL's coast, and have travelled to Costa Rica to learn more about their interesting and diverse bees.
To learn more about native bees, visit helpabee.org.