Current Issue of Aussie Bee Email Update

Number 16 / December 2008

Topics in this Issue:

1. JUST RELEASED: VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF NATIVE BEES

2. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR AUSSIE BEE LINKS

3. EUROPEAN BUMBLEBEE IMPORTATION REFUSED

4. FIGHTING SWARMS: MYSTERIES SOLVED

5. UPCOMING NATIVE BEE EVENTS

1. JUST RELEASED: VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF NATIVE BEES

Presenting a unique display of native bee videos and photographs -- on the Aussie Bee website.

Aussie Bee website has just become bigger and better. We have moved our website to a larger hosting service where we can showcase our beautiful Australian native bees as never before.

-- Take a look at our brand new collection of native bee videos. These lively free-to-view online video clips highlight the intricate nests and amazing behaviour of our Australian native bees. To see a list of current videos, visit:
http://www.aussiebee.com.au/videos-native-bees.html

-- And don't miss our expanded Photograph Gallery with every photograph enlarged and many new additions. This gallery now features spectacular native bee close ups by "Peter O" and other photographers:
http://www.aussiebee.com.au/gallery.html

2. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR AUSSIE BEE LINKS

The Aussie Bee website has moved. Could you please help us spread the word about our new address?

Aussie Bee website was launched ten years ago with our old address: zeta.org.au/~anbrc.

The whole website has now been shifted permanently to our new address: http://www.aussiebee.com.au

Please help us by updating any Aussie Bee website bookmarks or website links that you have to our new address: http://www.aussiebee.com.au

Note: Our email address is still the same: anbrc@zeta.org.au

3. EUROPEAN BUMBLEBEE IMPORTATION REFUSED

Back in 2006 horticulturalists applied to import European bumblebees to the Australian mainland for greenhouse tomato pollination. Aussie Bee and many other scientific groups opposed the application because of the harm feral bumblebees could cause to our native bees, birds, bushland and farms.

Now, two years later, a decision has finally been made! On 26 October 2008, Environment Minister Peter Garrett announced that he had rejected the horticulturalists' application to import European bumblebees.

Mr Garrett said the plan, 'could have posed a serious risk to the Australian environment, native bee populations and native bird species.'

Read Mr Garrett's full statement on this webpage: http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2008/mr20081026.html

We would like to thank the many Aussie Bee supporters who helped achieve this outcome by voicing their opposition to the importation of European bumblebees.

4. FIGHTING SWARMS: MYSTERIES SOLVED

Thousands of bees can die in mysterious fighting swarms of our Australian stingless bees. What triggers these destructive swarms? What actually happens in these swarms?

Ros Gloag of the University of Sydney, with the help of a number of Australian beekeepers, has used modern DNA techniques to find some long-awaited answers.

Ros' fascinating results are explained in our latest Aussie Bee Online article, 'The Mysterious Fighting Swarms'. To read this article, visit:
http://www.aussiebee.com.au/abol-current.html

5. UPCOMING NATIVE BEE EVENTS

QUEENSLAND

Workshops on Stingless Beekeeping
by Dr Tim Heard

Date: 11 January 2009
Venue: CREEC Burpengary
Moreton Bay Shire
Bookings Required: Lyndall Rosevear (07) 3480 6666;
Lyndall.Rosevear@moretonbay.qld.gov.au
Cost: $25

Date: 8 March 2009
Venue: Redlands IndigiScapes Centre,
Capalaba, Brisbane
Contact: Craig Doolan (07) 3820 1108
craigdo@redland.qld.gov.au

NEW SOUTH WALES

Seminars on Native Bees
by Dr Michael Batley

Three seminars on native bees will be presented in Sydney by Dr Michael Batley in 2009:

-- at Peakhurst in March;

-- at St Ives in April; and

-- at the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden on 1st June.

Details have not been finalised. Please check the Aussie Bee seminars page for more information closer to the date:
http://www.aussiebee.com.au/seminars.html

Wishing you happy bee-watching during the holiday season!

Kind regards

Anne Dollin
Editor, Aussie Bee

Copyright (C) 2008 Australian Native Bee Research Centre. All Rights Reserved.

Australian Native Bee Research Centre / Aussie Bee
PO Box 74, North Richmond NSW 2754, Australia
Fax: (02) 4576 1196. Email: anbrc@zeta.org.au

Promoting the Preservation and Enjoyment of Australian Native Bees

Visit our Website! http://www.aussiebee.com.au

AUSSIE BEE EMAIL UPDATE NEWS ON THE LATEST NATIVE BEE ARTICLES, BOOKLETS, EVENTS AND RESEARCH

AUSSIE BEE EMAIL UPDATE
NEWS ON THE LATEST NATIVE BEE
ARTICLES, BOOKLETS, EVENTS AND RESEARCH