Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Science-Based Art Welcomes New Teacher!

Coming in Spring, 2013, Science-Based Art has a new Literature-Based Teacher.  Mary Ekblad comes with a lot of experience and is gifted in working with students in the early grades.  She has a love for children's literature and will be a great asset to any family seeking additional assistance in teaching literature-based fine art.  Please look over Mary's biography. Students in grades 1st-4th will recieve a two hour lesson per week.  For a complete semester syllabus, click on the "Literature-Based Art" button above.  Classes will be taught on Friday mornings from 10AM - 12PM.  Space is limited to 6 students.  To reserve your students place in the class, email Dawn Cogan at dcogan@gci.net

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A Semester Off for Mrs. Cogan!!

Science-Based Art teacher, Dawn Cogan, is taking Spring 2013 off from teaching fine art.  My daughter is graduating from highschool in May from I.D.E.A. Classes taught by me will be offered again in Fall, 2013.  However, I am still teaching two beekeeping classes this spring!  To see syllabus, click on the "Beekeeping" button above!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Gardening in 2013?


Greetings Greenthumbs!

The November 2012 quarterly issue of the Master Gardener Update is now posted on the UAF Cooperative Extension Service website.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

·  Campus Community Garden Finishes its First Successful Harvest!

·  Visit a Little Alaskan Garden

·  Got the winter blahs? Look forward to the 2013 Greenhouse & Nursery Conference and Sustainable Agriculture Conference

·  Register for the Spring 2013 Master Gardener Class

·  Consider adopting a Plectranthus

·  Check out the Events Calendar for upcoming conferences, trainings, classes and more!
VISIT:  www.uaf.edu/ces/districts/tanana/mg/

Saturday, November 3, 2012


 

 Golden North Homeschool Support Network

Fall Tea

Monday, November 5, 2012

At Valley of Blessing Church

3007 Airport Way

Dawn Cogan, homeschooling mom of a high school senior, will share tips that have helped her in her homeschooling journey. We'll also share our fall favorites (recipes, traditions, decorating tips, crafts...). Please bring a finger food, sweet, savory, fruit or veggie. We'll provide the teas and hot cider. We would really appreciate your help in spreading the word. Please bring another homeschool parent with you! This event is for homeschool parents. Childcare will NOT be provided.:

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Raw, Local Honey For Sale

For a limited time, we have raw, local honey for sale. 
1/2 lb. bottle = $8
1 lb. bottle = $16
2 lb. bottle = $32
Please email us at dcogan@gci.net if you would like to purchase some!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Shop Vacuuming My Bees

Today I began the painful process of shop-vacuuming my bees.  I am vacuuming a couple hives at a time in the early morning or later evening when it's too cold for the bees to forage.  Later, in Jan. or Feb. I will pull all the equipment inside the garage and clean it up.  Fall is far too busy to try to clean up all the beekeeping equipment along with harvesting.  In the last week I've canned 4 cases of quart-size greenbeans, 33 quarts & 14 pints of pickled beets and 96 pints of sourkraut.  The root cellar is all cleaned out and the doors are open so that any extra moisture is expelled.  The carrot and potato bins are out on the lawn getting bleached by the sun.  In a couple weeks we will dig around 2 ton of potatoes and dig up all our carrots to store them in the root cellar.  The potatoes will be stored in wooden bins and the carrots will be layered in dry river silt.  We even found some carrots left over from last year that are still good to eat.  Amazing how the Lord gives us everything we need!!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Storing Beekeeping Equipment for the winter

I store my hives right where they've been all summer.  I place a ratchet strap around each hive vertically.  Then I use the screen that was a part of the original box that they were shipped up here in to staple over both openings.  I also put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the bottom brood box.  This ensures that mice, shrews, wild bees, etc. do not enter the hive and eat the wax comb during the winter.  Another great place to store your hives is in a cold storage shed. 

Wrapping Up the Season!!!

I only had two colonies out of eight that really rallied in the past two weeks.  Together, I estimate they have brought in about 60 more pounds of honey.  We'll see when I extract the frames.  Provided our queens haven't escaped their cages or our workers have created any new queens that somehow miraculously got fertilized enough to start laying, we should be very close to wrapping up our season!!!  I have already taken 99% of the honey.  When I extract, I will give the "sticky" frames back to the bees to clean up.  This will make them very happy.  Then I will put my sugar feeder back into each hive and fill it with 1:1 Sugar/Water every few days.  They will hopefully draw out any comb from bare foundations.  When I feel like I'm ready to be done with beekeeping for the season, I will put some water into my husband's shopvac and either early in the AM or later in the PM (when it's cold to ensure all the bees are inside the hive and not out foraging) I will vacuum the bees.  I will then tape off the end of the hose and leave the bees in the shopvac overnight (24-36 hours) to ensure they are all dead and none fly back out.  This is a sad time!!  I then dump the organic vermiculite into my compost for next springs nutrient-rich compost.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A CHANGE OF THOUGHT!!!

To All You Honey Seekers,

I just got into some of my hives today and discovered what seems to be a late honeyflow!!!  This is exciting!!!  I also went up to Keith and Svetlana Nuss' home this afternoon to find they have what I estimate to be between 5 and 8 gallons of honey.  They started out with bare foundation this season and took my class in March.  I would give them class champion if I were a judge at the fair!!!  Now that we are having a real summer, I won't be so worried about the bees eating all the honey but I will be carefully looking for queen cells since the queens are all caged and the workers want a laying queen.  When it drops off cold, then we will be pulling any final honey supers.  I do have a manual extractor you can rent for $20.00 per day.  It comes with a stainless steel strainer, decapping forks and a decapping knife. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Science-Based Art Classes Are Starting soon!

I still have three spaces available in Botany this fall.  Classes start on August 21st. To reserve your student's space, please contact me at sciencebasedart@yahoo.com.

Friday, August 10, 2012

End of Season Tips!!!

If the weather drops off cold or rainy, I will put a pollen patty across the top of my frames in each hive.  I will pull out several pollen patties now so that if I need them, they will already be room temperature and I won't have to wait for them to thaw out.  Chances are pretty good that your bees are eating most of their honey.  If you have any frames with capped honey, I recommend you go ahead and rob them now because if you wait, you won't have any honey to harvest.  Don't take frames with eggs, larva, or pupa.  Go ahead and let them hatch out before robbing them.  Keep in mind the bees can get grouchy this time of year since the pollens are declining, it's getting colder, and especially after you rob honey.   Be sure to zip up your veil completely and use ductape over the top of the zipper.  Wearing a hoody and sweat pants under your suit is a great precaution, also. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Queen Caging

Finally, I caged the last of my queens yesterday with the help of a couple foreign exchange students  (One from Poland and one from Norway).  We have two others staying with us for a week (one from Italy and one from Israel).  They have really enjoyed learning about honeybees.  I am still killing any drone comb or queen cells as I'm trying to prepare for the end of the beekeepers calendar.  In three weeks, I will pull any honey supers or brood frames with honey in the corners so I can extract.  I will save some of the brood frames for insulation next spring.  It really hasn't been as good a year as I had predicted.  I had hoped to get between 40 and 80 gallons of honey this year.  My top bar hive swarmed and I have one hive that is queenless.  Out of 8 colonies, I have three that have really done quite well and one of those will produce around 124 lbs. (10 gallons) while the other two I estimate, about 5-7 gallons.  If it was your first season as a new beekeeper and you did not do well, don't get discouraged!!  Every year is different.  We had a pretty cool summer with quite a bit of rain.  The bees have eaten a lot of their honey during rainy days.  I will let you know when I plan on harvesting the last of my honey. 

Friday, August 3, 2012

Hi Folks, I made a visit out to Fred Tuttle's hive today.  We caught his unmarked queen on the second walk through.  I am thoroughly impressed because he had a swarm this summer, caught it and succesfully re-introduced it to its original colony.  Wow!!!  Also, I enjoyed the beautiful veggie garden that Fred and his wife have grown this year!!  I'm still trying to find the time to cage my own queens as our lives have been hectic since my mother-in-law passed away a week ago.  Blessings to you all!!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Caging Queens!!!

It is now time to cage my queens!  Sometime here in the next week I will be gently coaxing my queens to re-enter their queen cages.  Sometimes this can be a difficult task.  First of all, it can be hard to find my queen.  Once I find her, she really has no interest in being locked up in a small cell so she will often strongly avoid my plans for her.  I will keep working at it patiently.  Eventually, she will get tired and crawl right in.  Sometimes I very gently pick her up and place her in the box.  Be sure to have a cork wittled down to the proper size (to fit into the entrance of the queen box) and a small strip of duct tape will be handy as long as you do not cover up the screen.  Remember, our queens need to breath.  Once you have successfully captured your queen, place the box back into the hive between two frames being careful to have the mesh available to the workers so they can feed their beloved queen.  Within 21 days, you will have no eggs or larva and it's time to extract your golden honey (unless the queen escapes). If you have any questions or need assistance, please give me a call and I will get back to you as soon as possible.  This is the bussiest time of the season and today is my first day at the Farmer's Market.  If you want to chat bees, come by the market. Blessings!! Dawn

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Miscellaneous

Hi Fellow Beekeepers - Many students have taken advantage of their free hive visit.  So far, my most successful student is Tom Griffeth out at Harding Lake.  His queen has been laying eggs in full patterns in every box.  Although we could not find his queen, we are certain she is in the hive and doing her job!!  All four stages are present.  Good job, Tom!!  My top bar hive did swarm and there is no queen present so I am trying to get a couple queens from Steve Victors.  Hopefully he can ship up some queens in the next couple days before I leave for Puerto Rico.  I will be back in Fairbanks on July 24th.  Our next big job will be to cage queens the first week of August.


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Keep Doing Hive Checks!

This has been what I call, "A Swarm Year" and I've heard of several swarms this season.  I've also heard of two beekeepers who have caught their swarms.  Don't get lazy!!  Keep checking your hives every 10-14 days for queen cells (which you need to remove), eggs and larvae.  The bees are already storing our winter's supply of honey.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

ADD SUPER BOXES NOW AND MORE. . .

Hi Folks,

I added my honey supers in the last two days and sure enough, it was time!!  I found several frames full of capped honey already.  I'm convinced, the honey-flow is just around the (soltice) corner!  I'm still removing lots of queen cells so I don't have any swarms right before my girls bring in all the golden honey!!  I had to remove grass from in front of my hives again.  Hey - if you don't want to remove or trim the grass, you can get an old carpet remnant and lay it down in front of your hive(s).  This will save you time and work. Don't forget that your bees might get overheated right now since it's so hot outside.  One way to tell if your bees are too hot is if you have hundreds or even thousands of bees fanning the air out in front of their hive.  If you suspect they may be overheated, just place
16-penny nails diagonally across the top-front corner edges (right under the top lid).  This will allow for better ventilation.  By the way, you picked a great season to keep honeybees!!  I do believe this season will bring in a very boutiful harvest!!!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

ADDING YOUR SUPERS!!

I will be adding my excluders and honey supers by June 24th this year.  This season I've found way more queen cells than last year but I've seen worse years for swarming.  So keep clearing out any queen cells you may find.  Keeping water nearby is still vital as our bees need it to produce honey.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Beekeeping Lab

I will be teaching a six hour class on beekeeping if you know anyone who is interested in learning about bees.  It will be a live lab with bee suits for adults and children.  Half of the class is on bees and beekeeping (6/19/12) the other half of the class will take place in August when we will learn about harvesting honey and wax for candles, etc. Cost: $100 per family To Reserve Space: call 374-8984

GARDENING TIPS

Yesterday I was weeding and thinning my carrots and thought I'd share that carrots love sand!!  The key to growing outstanding carrots is to use silty soil and thin them regularly.  Right now, I've thinned my carrots to one half or one inch apart.  Have you ever noticed that for every beet seed you plant, you get two plants?  I always pull out the weaker of the two so that the one I leave will get more nutrients and have more space to develop.  Lastly, if you wait until July 4th to plant turnips, they will have considerably less worm rott.  I hope you all are enjoying all the living things like I am this summer.  The weather has been perfect since we are able to let the Lord water for us!!  Mostly sunshine and a shower every day - you can't ask for better conditions.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Pull Your Entrance Reducer(s)

Now it is time to pull your entrance reducers!!  If you haven't removed your outer & inner insulation, do it now. Also, sugar feeding should be long over now. We don't want honey made from sugar but rather, pollens.  June is the month for swarming.  To prevent swarming, remove any queen cells you find on your frames.  Also, if your bees are crowded and don't have enough space, they should be given more boxes.  This is called, "bee space".  Remember to keep an eye on your water level.  If your hive is near a pond, river, lake, etc. then you have no worries but bees need water just like any other living thing so keep your water source nearby and check it often.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Successful Hive Checks!!

Yesterday several students attended the top bar demo.  It was a lot of fun and I answered many questions.  Together, we removed multiple queen cells, removed the outer insulation and found two out of three queens.  All inner insulation is completely removed and replaced with empty or drawn-out frames and there are no longer sugar feeders in the hives except for my top bar since my bees in that hive still need to build several more combs.  Stay tuned as our next big change will be adding the queen excluder and two supers to the top of your hive(s).

Saturday, June 2, 2012

TOP BAR HIVE DEMONSTRATION TODAY!!

My top bar hive is located in Aurora Subdivision.  (1709 Carr Avenue) 
If you are on College Road, turn onto Aurora Drive (Across from the fairgrounds) Drive over the Noyes Slough bridge and a couple more blocks to Carr; turn Left passing two houses the third house should be a very old two story vertical log cabin; Park in the drive way and the hives are behind the shop (tan)  My cell phone number is 378-1563 if you need any further assistance in finding it.
Hope to see you there!!
Dawn

Friday, May 25, 2012

New Pollens Available!!!

Have you noticed?  Chokecherry trees are in full-blossom right now so our bees are in seventh heaven!!  They deffinitely no longer need sugar syrup.  If you have not pulled your feeder(s) then do so and replace them with a blank or drawn-out frame. You have probably noticed that with all the rain we've been having, we also have yellow and white pollen floating on top of puddles. The bees may have trouble harvesting pollen from blossoms since most of it has been washed away by the rain.  Surprisingly, though, they can still gather the pollen from puddles.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

TOP BAR VISIT IS CHANGED!!

For those of you who are interested in visiting my top bar hive.  I am changing the date to Sat. June 2nd at 1PM.  Please let me know if you are still interested in attending by emailing me at sciencebasedart@yahoo.com

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - Swarm Cells!!!

When I checked four of my hives today, I found several swarm cells in each.  Between now and the end of June is a crucial time for destroying swarm cells.  Every ten to 12 days, I will go through my entire hive, one frame at a time, looking for swarm cells or the beginning of queen cells.  Remember, these cells will have the cell opening pointing downward.  When capped, these cells look similar to a small peanut hanging downward off the frame.  Most of the time, queen cells are at the bottom of frames however, they can also be found at the top or in the middle of a frame.  Doing regular hive checks through the month of June is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!! 

Feeding Your Bees is Over!!

Now that May is coming to an end, if you have fed your bees recently, there is no need to feed them any longer.  As soon as they finish what's left of the sugar water, remove the sugar feeder from your hive, clean it up and store it for fall or next spring.  Also, remove your inside insulated frames and replace them with new or drawn-out frames. 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Flip Your Reducer!!

Finally, Jack Frost has been kicked out of town.  It appears we will have no more nights below freezing so go ahead and flip your entrance reducer, changing the entrance from .5 inches to two to three inches.  Also, watch for weeds or grass growing up in front of your entrance(s).  To make this a lot easier, you can put a piece of old carpet down on the ground in front of your hive(s) to keep the weeds and grass from growing as it can slow the efficiency of the bees getting in and out of the hive to forage.  Very soon we will be removing our sugar feeders and inside insulated follower boards.    Don't plant any starter plants in the ground until Memorial Day weekend, just in case Jack comes back!!  After soaking your seeds overnight, peas, carrots and beet seed can be planted anytime now.  It's time to get gardening so enjoy!!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

TOP BAR FIELD TRIP

I will be hosting a free top bar field trip to my bee lot in Aurora Subdivision on Sat. May 26th at 1PM, weather permiting.  Any interested beekeepers may come (wearing a bee suit) to observe my top bar hive.  It's really fascinating and fun!!

Flip Your Entrance Reducer!!

O.K. Folks, I believe Jack Frost has finally begrudgingly left town.  You never know for sure though since a few years ago it snowed on June 1st.  Today I changed my entrance reducer to the two/three inch entrance.  This will allow the bees to come and go much faster and allow for better ventilation during the hottest part of the day.  Also, today I found one queen cell out of 4 hives so I made sure to find my queen and watch her for a few minutes to ensure she looked healthy, then I checked for new eggs and larva in full patterns.  Finally, I scraped the queen cell completely out of the wax comb.  It actually had a queen larva in it so it would have hatched out in about two weeks which would have been horrible since I would have lost about half my colony.  Start looking over each frame carefully for queen cells.  After you have ensured you aren't in need of a new queen, get rid of any queen cells.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

ADD BOXES!!

Today I did hive checks, discovering all of my queens are very fertile and workers are very happy despite all the cold weather.  Almost every single frame is drawn out to the maximum.  Since I added additional boxes to the bottom of the hives a couple weeks ago, I'm not worried about the queen running out of cells to lay in.  If you have drawn-out comb and have not added another brood box, you should!!  I fed my bees what I think will be their final sugar water today with some Honeybee Healthy (essential oils).  It's always nice to finish the feeding frenzy as it's a lot less work when all you have to do is hive checks every 10-12 days.  I expect our weather will get warmer soon.  Would anyone like to visit my top bar hive to see how it works?  I would like to do it the last week of May.  Any takers? 

Saturday, May 5, 2012

SCIENCE-BASED ART CLASSES FOR FALL 2012

Now is the time to sign up for classes in the fall.  Classes are already filling up so if you would like to reserve your space, please contact me and pay a $50 deposit.  My email is sciencebasedart@yahoo.com
(All classes are $25 per class or $375per semester)

BEEKEEPERS!!

It's 1030AM on Sat. 5/5/12 and it's almost 50* in the shade in downtown, Fairbanks.  Today will be a great day to do a queen check and fill your sugar feeder(s).  If you do not see eggs and larva, you may need a new queen.  There should be all four stages: Adult, Pupa, Larva and Eggs in the cells.  Enjoy!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Now is the time when we start checking for "bee space" so pay attention to how many frames have empty cells for the queen to lay in.  If you have less than four frames with empty cells, then you need to add another brood box BENEATH the current box!!  The new box should have insulated follower boards on the inside and the bubble wrap on the outside.  Keep the sugar feeder in the top box for easy access and filling.  REMEMBER, the box may be very heavy so be careful with your back and lift properly!!  I am limping around because my boxes were really heavy when I added the extra box a week ago.  Do not check your bees unless it is 50* or warmer.  If you fed your bees well in April then they should have plenty of sugar water stored in the cells to make it through this cold snap!  Before long, we will see dandelions and when there's a plentiful supply of those then pull the sugar feeder completely. 

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Ants in your pants?

One student emailed about finding ants in his hive already.  This problem can be solved simply by getting a kiddy pool, filling it up with water and putting foundation blocks in the center of it.  Then set the hive up on the foundation blocks (facing South, of coarse).  The ants will drown in your new moat and if you float twigs, moss or wood in the moat, your bees won't drown and besides, now they have their water source closer than ever!! 

Bitter Cold & Bees. . .

Spring has not completely sprung and Jack Frost is giving us all one last blow before he heads out of town.  I have received some calls with concerns regarding the bees making it through this cold snap. If your hive is properly insulated with follower boards on the inside and hard foam or bubble wrap foam on the outside, your bees should be fine.  Other suggestions are that if you put a blanket over the hive, don't cover the entrances and don't forget to remove the blanket when it warms up during the day.  Bees generate plenty of their own heat.  Also, don't open the hive when it is less than 50* because the brood can get too cold and die off. Remember, the best time to check your hive, in my opinion, is every 10-12 days around the middle of the day.  Another reminder. . . if you are checking the weather and you see a cold snap on its way, throw a piece of pollen patty on top of the frames to give the bees some food while they cannot leave the hive.  Sometimes a cold snap can last a week or so.  A pollen patty ensures the queen will keep laying while the workers are sitting out the storm.  This year the bees have been storing a lot of sugar water so If you've been good about giving your bees sugar water, they will have plenty until our weather warms up again. 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Did you say, "Pupa"?

Hi Folks,

Today I did my final queen checks and have already found capped brood, otherwise known as "PUPA"!  How exciting for those of you who have just started beekeeping and get to do it in a season that starts out so warm!!  So far we have had great success with our queens.  Only one arrived dead in the box and it happened to be mine and since I always order extra queens, NO PROBLEM!!  If you have drawn-out comb you will find the bees are storing as much sugar water in the empty cells as possible.  Remember, your brood pattern should never look spotty but rather the eggs and larva should be in the shape of an approximate oval in the center of each frame.  Another surprise I found today was an unmarked Carniolan queen which means she probably was in with the workers and fought against the one I put into the hive and won.  I think I will name her, "Black Beauty"!  Ginny Kinney and I are headed South to Anchorage tonight to meet up with Steve and Donna to bring back our final shipment of bees for local beekeepers.  I estimate we will arrive at 605 Betty Street around 5PM tomorrow (April 25th).  If you have any questions you can call my cell at 378-1563.

Friday, April 20, 2012

When Should We Stop Feeding Sugar Water?

Hi Folks,  this is a common question and a good one!  As soon as the dandelions show their bright yellow faces, we need to pull the sugar feeders.  This is important for three reasons.  First, it prevents lazy bees from staying home on the couch when they need to be out working for a living.  Second, it allows the natural nectars to be used to prepare for the honeyflow in July.  Who wants sugar in their honey?  Lastly, pulling the feeder allows us to put yet one more frame into the hive which means more babies, which means more foragers for the massive pollen and nectar rush before the local honey flow.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Colony Collapse Disorder?

This is a great Article regarding colony collapse disorder!! One of my students called this week and asked if it is o.k. to feed store-bought honey to our bees. The answer is no and if you want to know why, please read the following article.

http://www.naturalnews.com/035610_honey_bees_pesticides_corn_syrup.html

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

First 2012 Sugar Water/Queen Check

My estimate was right on. . . the sugar feeders were near empty today so I filled them up with room temperature sugar water and I know I said to wait until Friday but I couldn't resist doing my first queen checks of the season. All the queens were out and several have already been laying eggs. My next check will be in four days to fill sugar water and do a larva check as I should see a great larva pattern by then.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Yesterday was a beautiful day for the arrival and hiving of our bees!! I recommend we all check our sugar water levels on Wed. (during the warmest part of the day and never under +50*) You don't need to check on your queens progress until Friday but keeping sugar water filled up is a must. So far, I've only handed out two new queens to a couple of beekeepers who accidentally let their queen fly off during their attempt at a slow release. Keep your hives insulated inside and outside until a later date. When you do your initial queen check, pull the little queen box out and check to see that your queen has been released. If she has, you will look for eggs and larva. If you have any questions or comments, you can post them on this blog.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Days Until Honeybees Arrive: 0

Our beloved buzzers will arrive on April 14th as scheduled! If anything changes I will post info. here!! Also, as a reminder, bring your equipment inside, out of the cold, to warm it up a couple days before the bees arrive. The same day you bring your equipment inside, mix up your sugar H2O (1:1) and store it at room temperature. Do you have a spray bottle for when the bees arrive? How about your tiny marshmallow(s)? I will have pollen patties for sale when the bees arrive for $5.00. Steve Victors will probably charge a fee of around $5 or $10 (per colony) for driving the bees up to Fairbanks. The place to pick up your buzzers is the Monroe Catholic School Parking lot. (At the corner of Betty and Ina Street) I will be calling everyone when Steve is about an hour away and his estimated arrival time is 5PM on April 14th.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Extra Beekeeping Class Added!!

Due to the soaring interest in beekeeping this spring, I have added an additional 8 hour beekeeping class. April 6th from 6-9PM and April 7th from 1-6 PM. Anyone interested should call me at 378-1563. Door prizes and snacks will be provided!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Honey Bees, Anyone???

Our April 14th shipment is completely full, however, we have added another shipment on April 25th for those who are just now ordering. The cost is $130.00 per 4 lb. colony this year and a few additional bucks for having them driven from Anchorage to Fairbanks. To order bees, email me at dcogan@gci.net.
Healthy Granola Recipe:
3-4 cups rolled oats
1 cup branflakes
1/2 cup wheat germ or fresh ground wheat berries
1/3 cup sun flower seeds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup dried fruit(i.e. cranberries, raisens, apples, apricots, dates, figs, etc.)
1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
a little unsweetened, shreaded coconut is delicious, too!

Directions: Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Lightly oil a cake pan or cookie sheet with atleast 1" sides. Pour mixture into the pan and bake on 300* for 15min. Stir well and bake for 15 more minutes. Take out of oven and let cool. serve plain or with milk, yogurt or icecream.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Now Enrolling for Beginning & Intermediate Beekeeping Classes

The February class was great! The March class is 8 hours total, divided between the 3rd and 10th from 1-5PM. Cost: $100.00 per family. email Dawn at dcogan@gci.net to save your space.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Interior Alaska Homeschool Science Fair
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012
Location: Pioneer Park
Civic Center

Registration Deadline: February
9, 2012
Spark interest in science through
reading, writing, speaking, creating artistic displays, researching, and
discovering the joy of fulfilling curiosity.

All PK-12 homeschooled
students are invited to participate. Around fifteen students will be able
to advance to the Interior Alaska
Science Fair
. All student participants will receive a prize and a
ribbon. Please note that all students have the ability
to earn one ratings. Many door prizes will also be available to competitors.
Please go to www.sciencefairbanks.com to register and to learn how to create an
award-winning project. If you select “Plan Your Project,” you will be
guided though a weekly plan to create an outstanding project.
“Register” will tell you how to sign up your student(s).

If you have
any questions or would like to volunteer to help with setting up, cleaning,
entertaining small children, or taking down for this event, please call Kathy
Mosley or Maritza Jennings at (907) 374-2200.

A special thank you to our
wonderful sponsors that make the Homeschool Science Fair possible

G.V.E.A.
Pioneer Park
I.D.E.A.

Science Fair links to resources.

Ellen
McHenry's Basement Workshop


https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/370662_814233235_1303800135_q.jpg

REAL Science Odyssey: http://www.pandiapress.com/?page_id=50, each one has a ton of free pages available for their
"try before you buy" program

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Spring 2012 Honeybee Orders
with Steve Victors of Wasilla, AK

It's now time to start ordering our honeybees for spring 2012. Once again, I am ordering
with Steve Victors in Wasilla, Alaska. His bees have been, by far, the best I've
ever used. The price this year is $130.00 for 4lbs. (extra queens are $20.00)
and delivery date is around April 14th. To reserve your Italian or Carneolan
colonies, send a check to Steve Victors; 7449 S. Babcock Blvd.; Wasilla, Alaska
99623. You can also access his website at Stevesbees.com Shipping from Anchorage
to Fairbanks will be between $5.00 and $10.00 via truck. Steve also has a good
amount of beekeeping supplies for sale. Check him out at Stevesbees.com!

Now Enrolling for Beginning & Intermediate Beekeeping Classes

Each class will be taught for two Saturdays in a row. Four hours each Saturday. February's classes are now full. March classes are March 3rd and 10th from 1-5PM. Cost: $100.00 per family. Class size is very limited. email Dawn at dcogan@gci.net to save your space.

Beekeeping Classes
Instructor:
Dawn Cogan
Science-Based
Art · A Hands-On Experience for People of All Ages

Dates:
February
4 & 11, 2012
March
3 & 10
Science-Based
Art
Instructor:
Dawn Cogan ∙ 374-8984 ∙ (dcogan@gci.net)


Class #1: Saturday, Feb 4, 2012
·
Introductions
·
How I got involved in beekeeping. What is beekeeping? How much honey will I get? How much will this all cost me?
·
Equipment necessary to keep bees in
Alaska
·
Biology and races of honeybees
·
Members of the hive and their duties
·
Where can I get bee equipment? Should I get new, used or build my own?
·
Getting equipment ready for arrival of
bees.
·
Insulation, feeding bees properly
·
What to do when the bees arrive
·
Is my queen marked? (queen marking tool)
·
Management of honeybee colonies in
Alaska, the beekeepers calendar
·
Swarming and how to prevent it

Class #2: Saturday, Feb 11, 2012
·
Honeybee diseases
·
Extracting your Alaska honey
·
What to do at the end of the season
·
Storing your equipment
·
Beeswax candle making
·
Wrap up questions and discussion

Spring 2012 Honeybee Orders

It's now time to start ordering our honeybees for spring 2012. Once again, I am ordering with Steve Victors in Wasilla, Alaska. His bees have been, by far, the best I've ever used. The price this year is $130.00 for 4lbs. (extra queens are $20.00) and delivery date is around April 14th. To reserve your Italian or Carneolan colonies, send a check to Steve Victors; 7449 S. Babcock Blvd.; Wasilla, Alaska 99623. You can also access his website at Stevesbees.com Shipping from Anchorage to Fairbanks will be between $5.00 and $10.00 via truck. Steve also has a good amount of beekeeping supplies for sale. Check him out at Stevesbees.com!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

2012
ASAA All-State Art Competition
New
this year – an electronic exhibition!
This year the ASAA/First National Bank All-State Art Competition will take
place online at a dedicated ASAA art website. The purpose of the online
All-State Art Competition is to offer Alaskan students an opportunity to
present their creative talent in a juried art show with the tutelage of an art
instructor and compete with other high school students. Awards will be
presented for outstanding and original works and certificates will be presented
to all participants. All juried art submissions will be displayed at a
dedicated ASAA art website.
TIMELINE:
MARCH 1 entry deadline (to Barb Laucius in the IDEA Matsu Office)

APRIL
20 - Artwork is displayed on website / Results are announced


Student Eligibility
The All-State Art Competition is open to all ASAA member schools. Students must
be enrolled in grades 9-12 and working under a teacher’s supervision.
Art must have been created from August 1, 2011 to April 6, 2012. Students who
graduated in 2011 are not eligible. All students must meet all ASAA eligibility
requirements. Participant names must be entered in the Electronic Eligibility
Registration (EER) for the All-State Art Eligibility List; students must be
involved in the Play for Keeps Program.
AWARDS
a. Awards for Each Category:
Honorable Mention at jurors’ discretion - Winners receives a ribbon.
First, Second and Third place - Winners receive a medallion.
Best of Show – Winner receives a plaque.
Congressional Award – Winner receives a plaque. (see below)
b. Congressional Award
Two – dimensional artwork (with a maximum framed size of 28” x 28” and 4” deep)
are eligible to be considered. The Congressional Award winner must mail their
physical artwork to the ASAA offices. ASAA will reframe the artwork if needed
and deliver to Representative Don Young’s office. The artwork will be hung in
Washington D.C. for one year.
c. Participation Certificate
All students that submit artwork to the online competition will receive a
Participation Certificate
Judges
will be selected from across the state.

ENTRIES
Qualifying Art
All entries must be the original artwork, of high quality, and executed solely
by a student. Work that has been directly copied from any published source, may
not be entered unless the student has creatively modified or reinterpreted the
original work using the student’s own vision or style.
Categories for Original Entries
1. Painting – includes oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, casein, tempera
2. Drawing - includes pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel, crayon
3. Printmaking – includes any form of printmaking
4. Sculpture – includes modeled, carved, cast or assembled
5. Photography – includes black and white, color, transparencies, experimental
and digital
6. Mixed Media – must be an interrupted plane in two (2) or more media
7. Communications Arts/Graphic Design – must be intended for functional use
8. Ceramics – kiln fired clay, glazed/unglazed, blown glass, handbuilt or wheel
thrown
9. Jewelry/Metal smithing – pendants, rings, pins, brooches, boxes, etc.
10. Textile/Fiber Design – includes fabric, fiber, handmade paper
11. Multicultural Art – includes all mediums

SENDING
YOUR ENTRY:
One work of art per
student may be submitted electronically to:
Barbara Laucius, Art
Instructor IDEA
At this email
address:
barbara.laucius@ideafamilies.org

·
Follow
the instructions below for “how to photograph your art/ photography tips”
·
Put
in the subject line of your email to Barb: ASAA ART 2012/(your last name)


In the email include (in this order):
·
Your
Name
·
Address
·
Phone
·
Region
·
Contact
Teacher
·
Title
of work
·
Category
(from the list above) / medium
·
Size
·
“Student
Artist Statement” This should be approximately 3-5 sentences stating what
inspired your work of art.
IDEA can send only 5 pieces. This is a highly competitive art competition, and
so give extra thought to the art you are submitting. Artwork will be screened
and 5 pieces from our school will be forwarded to the competition .

DO NOT SEND PHYSICAL ART WORK – ALL ART
WILL BE ELECTRONIC!
Photography
Tips
Photos
of artwork should be taken against a white, gray or black background depending
on the color of the artwork. Please do not use backgrounds with any other
colors. Make sure you use good lighting. Photos can be either “Landscape” or
“Portrait” however the camera must be set to a 4:3 aspect ratio. Most cameras
are set to 4:3 by default but be sure to check your camera’s settings. The
photo file that you submit must be a JPG format, roughly 8 x 10 in printable
size or (3200 x 2400 pixels / 4:3 aspect ratio) and should be 300 DPI image
resolution.
You may submit only 1 photo for 2-D artwork
You may submit up to 3 photos for 3-D artwork only. Please include a ruler or
another object for reference to indicate scale in at least one of the photos.

ANY
QUESTIONS?
Contact
Barb at IDEA Matsu
907-357-4850
or send an email!

(I will send out any updates as they occur)
Art in the Capitol
2012

Theme for
IDEA’s 2012 Display:
“Winter
Landscape” (squares)


This is an excellent opportunity to display your child’s quality artwork in the halls of the Capitol
building in Juneau for our governor, legislators, Alaskans and visitors to see
and appreciate.

IDEA has reserved
display space in the state capitol during the month of March 2012. Student
artists from K through 12th grade are invited to contribute original
2-dimensional art: painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, original
(etching, lithos, silkscreen, woodblock) prints, or collage.

Art must be 12”
x 12” on paper and address the theme Winter Landscape. We will mount and
add a hanging device to those pieces we send to Juneau. DO NOT SEND FRAMED ART
WORK – IT WILL NOT BE SENT
TO THE CAPITOL AND IT WILL NOT BE RETURNED.

Artwork needs
to be submitted for review and screening to the Wasilla IDEA office and
received by February 10, 2012. Limit one piece per student. (Due to limited
space, all pieces may not be forwarded to Juneau)

SHIP TO:
Barbara Laucius
IDEA – Suite F
611 S Knik Goose
Bay Rd
Wasilla,
AK 99654

Art
must be packaged flat in a stiff packaging. We are not responsible for damage.
Please
contact Barbara with any questions: barbara.laucius@ideafamilies.org

ENTRY
INFORMATION – complete this form and include with art
NAME
GRADE
MEDIUM
Mailing
Address
Phone
Contact
Teacher/Region

IDEA
Coordinator: Barbara Laucius, MatSu Office, Wasilla, 907-357-4850