Welcome

Bee Gardening Classes

Bee Gardening

Bee pollination brings us much of our food and supports most of our wildland plants. Interest in helping bee pollinators has never been greater, but what can you do in your own garden to make sure it is bee-friendly? We’ll discuss bee science-based garden design and plant selection to ensure a healthy bee garden. This is a hybrid class. There will be a video to view before the class meeting; the class will conclude with a tour of the UC Davis Bee Haven for a hands-on look at plants and bees. 

All classes have identical content and include a video to view on your own and a one-hour meeting in the UC Davis Bee Haven. In celebration of our 15th year, there is a low fee of $15 per class.

Bee Gardening. March 23, 9am to 10am. Details and registration here.

Bee Gardening. March 26, 12pm to 1pm. Details and registration here.

Bee Gardening. April 9, 12pm to 1pm. Details and registration here.

Bee Gardening. April 13, 9am to 10am. Details and registration here.

Hours and Directions

The Haven is open daily at no charge from dawn to dusk. Hours on Google Maps and Facebook may not be correct. We’re located next to the Harry H. Laidlaw, Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road in Davis. Directions are here or find us on the UC Davis campus map or Google Maps. There is no charge for parking; please note that the space immediately to the right of the garden entrance is reserved for vehicles with a valid handicapped placard or license plates.

If you’re not able to visit us in person, please visit us virtually through our blog, The Bee Gardener, as well as our social media (links at the top right of this page) for updates.

Bee and plant photography are encouraged at the Haven. Please review our photography policies before taking pictures or videos.

Our Mission

The Haven is a unique outdoor museum that provides resources for local bee pollinators, inspires and educates visitors to create pollinator habitat gardens, and provides a site for the observation and study of bees and the plants that support them.

Current Funding

Funding for, “Promoting Pollinator Plant Awareness, Access, and Habitat Expansion to Benefit California’s Nursery Industry” was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 21-46786. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA. This support is administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crops Block Grants program (0.5FTE).

The Cygnet Foundation, support for irrigation system repairs.

What is the Haven?

The UC Davis Bee Haven is a unique outdoor museum where visitors can observe and learn about bees and the plants that support them. Located next to the Harry H. Laidlaw, Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis, it was planted in Fall 2009 thanks to a generous gift from Häagen-Dazs. The garden is open year-round during daylight hours. Admission is free. For more directions and details to ensure an enjoyable visit, please see “Planning Your Visit.”

Why Does the Haven Matter?

Like to eat? Thank a bee! Bees are responsible for pollinating about 1/3 of all the food we eat, including most of the fruits, nuts, and vegetable that make our diets tasty and nutritious. Bees also pollinate many of our wild plants that in turn provide food and habitat for other wildlife.

Yet many bee species (California has about 1600 native bee species) are in decline. While we don’t know all the reasons why this is occurring, one thing is clear: bees need flowers. We can all plant bee gardens, from a few flower pots to several acres. The Haven is a unique location where visitors can see bees and learn what they can do to help.

Can’t make it to the garden? If you’re not able to visit us in person, please visit us virtually through our blog, The Bee Gardener, as well as our social media (links at the top right of this page) for updates.

Garden News

Subscribe to our email list: UC Davis Bee Haven News is sent about once a quarter with event and class information and garden news and updates. Subscribe here

Garden videos: for those who cannot make it to the Haven, we’ll bring the Haven to you. Please check out our videos by clicking on the YouTube link here or on the sidebar.

Annual Reports: our 2023 Annual Report is now available. Reports for 2022, 2021, 20202019201820172016,  2015 and 2014 are also available.

Donate

The garden is funded by donations and grants. Please consider making a gift to help us in our important work of bee pollinator education and outreach. Thank you. Click here to donate to the garden.

Volunteer 

The Haven could not exist without the support of our volunteers. They do much of the garden maintenance and assist at outreach events. Please consider joining the Haven team and supporting our important work. To apply, email beegarden@ucdavis.edu and request a volunteer application; to learn more about our volunteers, visit here.

History of the Haven
The Haven was planted in the fall of 2009. More….

Contact us: beegarden@ucdavis.edu

A friendly reminder from our risk management folks: there are bees in the garden! If in your excitement to view our bees up close you should forget the Haven’s walk-only-on-the-path policy you might step on a bee. And if she reminds you she’s there by stinging you, please take a bee sting flyer from the box on the shed. You can also view the flyer here.

Problems? Contact George Terry. Copyright © UC Regents, Davis campus. All rights reserved. Last Major Site Update: 6 June 2014