Bee-friendly Bee keeping: A Weekend Course

Get to grips with the basics of sustainable beekeeping, explore the biology of honeybees
and their importance in the environment and learn to balance their impact with the needs of other pollinating.

Date: Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd August 2026
Start and finish times: starts at 10.00am Saturday and ends at 4.00pm on the Sunday
Includes: tuition, handouts and protective beesuits.

This 2-day course will give you a thorough grounding in understanding the lifecycles of honeybees which forms the basis of becoming a bee-friendly beekeeper. We will look at the different choices of equipment and management styles to keep your bees as naturally as possible.

You will have the chance to look inside a live honeybee colony and will be signposted to further training routes and support to start your own beekeeping adventure.

Understanding the differences in lifecycles and requirements between honeybees and other pollinators will help you to understand how best to support all insect pollinators in your garden, your plot or your community.

The practical session with Jonathan & Lisa’s bees will cover how to handle honeybees, the main workings of hives, different set ups available including frame and hive construction, and where to site hives. Find out where to source bees and what equipment is needed (and what isn’t!).

We’ll discuss how honey is harvested, from hive to the table, and how beeswax is cleaned and processed. There are many uses for both these products, and Jonathan & Lisa will offer hints and tips on these. You’ll be offered advice on useful books, magazines and websites.

What to bring – participants are requested to bring a pair of boots (preferably wellington boots) and a pair of gloves (this should be something like a Marigold washing-up type glove of a size that fits the hand really snuggly)

B.Y.O Lunch or purchase from the Henbant cafe
Camping is £15 per pitch and can be added to your registration at checkout

About your tutors...

Jonathan Garratt

Jonathan Garratt grew up with honeybees, going out to inspect the hives with his father as a child in Menai Bridge, Ynys Môn, and eventually taking on the full care of the hives.

He worked for the National Bee Unit for 22 years, has a BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Msc Rural Resource Management as well as a Permaculture Design Certificate. He has had various roles over the years in conservation, the environment, agriculture and environmental consultancy.

Jonathan has great enthusiasm and enjoys passing on his skills to others and promoting all bee species as well as honeybees.

Lisa Mundle

Lisa Mundle has a BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and a Permaculture Design Certificate and is a competent beekeeper and instructor, managing the processing and marketing of honey and hive products. Lisa is a gardener and food grower, and has a specialist interest in gardening for pollinators.

Lisa also works for the Landworkers Alliance, a union of farmers, foresters and growers that aims to transform the food system for the benefit of nature and humans alike.

Both Jonathan and Lisa have run courses in beekeeping for many years, independently and through organisations such as the Centre for Alternative Technology, the National Botanic Gardens Wales, the Snowdonia Society, Bangor University and the Woodland Skills Centre.