Bee Gardening Classes
Pruning the Bee Garden, November 4, 2023, 9am to 11am. This is a hybrid online/in-person class. The lecture portion will be pre-recorded and provided to participants on YouTube one week before the in-person meeting. In-person instruction will take place outside in the UC Davis Bee Haven garden. Class 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 2022 Annual Report is now available. Reports for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 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.
Follow Us!