UNC Maker Capstone Event

Students at the Bee Fair in the Makerspace in Murray Hall 

Our Maker in Residence project on Native Bee nesting sculptures held a Capstone Event for participants to demonstrate their works and explain what they had learned about native bees to fellow undergraduate students.

They set up stations and talked about a variety of issues related to native bee biology, including:

-the sculpture process;

-the difference between honey bees and native bees;

-native bee nesting behaviors;

-the dangers of insecticides to bees;

-direct and indirect threats of human activity to bees;

-the importance of bees to food production.

They set out a delicious array of snacks for their visitors.

Student leader Isaac Boulter offering refreshments

NC State entomologist Dr. Elsa Youngsteadt, who had given a presentation on native bee biology during the course, had a bee display.

She even brought some live bumble bees.

Claire Lorch, who directs the UNC Community Garden, informed students of the activities of the garden. The student sculptures will be on display there over the winter and spring. Here she shows Sarah Wright's piece. Sarah volunteers at the Community Garden.

Student Leader Abby Gancz and Brooke Kilker from the Community Garden at the Garden display.

Zachary Gonzales with his sculpture. Zac left his piece with the original aluminum surface, and adorned it with bees that were produced on the Makerspace 3D printer.

Laurina Bird created an abstract form and coated it with a tarnished bronze patina.








Helina Wolf also went abstract and finished her sculpture in bright yellow.

















Nancy Dianderas made a "Curious" owl, which she finished with multiple tarnish bronze and acrylic touches.

Annie McDarris sculpted a brightly colored flower.

Liza Zhytkova conjured up an Aztec sun God

Nissa Coit remember Alice in Wonderland with this fanciful creation with a tarnished bronze surface and a wood message made on the Makerspace laser cutting machine.

Ritam Chakraborty experimented with "trompe l'eoil" with this tree branch finished with extensively tarnished bronze

Finally Zita Voros created this tarnished bronze flower. She is shown here wearing the T-shirt that she designed for the participants of the Fall 2016 Resident Maker Project

As the Maker in Residence, I am so grateful to the UNC staff,

the student leaders and most of all the students who made this one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.








Thanks so much,
 Forrest

UNC Maker In Residence Project

I have had the great privilege to be the Autumn 2016 Maker In Residence in the Maker Program at UNC Chapel Hill. Our goal was to introduce a select group of undergraduate students to Native Bees and create sculptures that would serve as bee nesting units.

Here are our students:

Anne:

Sophomore

Environmental Studies and Journalism

My grandfather was a beekeeper, and I grew up in a very "bee-friendly" environment

Helena:

Freshman

Undecided major

…to use my creative problem solving skills in a setting that will challenge me.

Laurina:

Sophomore

Environmental Sciences

I am extremely concerned about the status of bee populations

Liza:

Sophomore

Political Science and Contemporary European Studies

…perfect way for me to contribute in making a difference for the bees of North Carolina

Nancy:

Senior

Biology and Studio Art

…always been interested and concerned about the alarming decline in bee population

Nissa:

Sophomore

Biology and Statistics

I intend on becoming an entomologist with a focus on honeybees

Ritam:

Junior

Food and Agricultural Studies

Building things helps me think creatively, get to know materials intimately…

Sarah:

Junior

Environmental Science and Mathematics

Bees are rad … Gotta love natural pollinators

 Zac:

First Year

Undeclared

My main motivation… is simply to learn something new and to challenge my mind

:

Zita:

Junior

Studio Arts and Graphic Design

…MY BOYFRIEND AND I WANNA BE BEEKEEPERS WHEN WE GROW UP

The manager of UNC Makerspaces is Charlie Cummings

In our first class, NC State Entomologist Dr. Elsa Youngsteadt spoke to us about the biology of bees, especially native bees. Here, she is demonstrating Mason Bee nesting unites. Student Maker Assistant Isaac Boulter looks on.

Nissa and Annie with their wooden nesting unit

I gave a demonstration of how to build a Native Bee nesting unit using two by four boards. The students then created similar pieces.

In the second class, I demonstrated how to make a paper maquette as a pattern for a metal sculpture. The students set out to create paper maquettes for their sculptures.

Zac and his paper model

During the next three classes, the students created metal sculptures based on their maquettes. Read about their work on the UNC Maker in Residence Blog

The Maker students will share their experience in a Bee Fail on November 18th.

UNC Maker Blog

http://makerinresidence.web.unc.edu/2016/09/

How to Build a Bee & Bee

Here is as easy design to provide nesting spaces for cavity nesting bees.

I started out with a piece of 1 by 8 pine lumber. I cut three pieces 10 inches long for the the back and sides of a nesting box. The bottom is 8 inches and the top is 10 inches. I used a dray saw.

I assembled the piece, squaring, gluing and screwing it together.

I covered the top with roof flashing.

I gave the unit 3 coats of yellow exterior house paint. I painted a floral design on both sides. I applied a UV resistant spray to the design to protect it from the sun.

Finally, I filled the piece with commercially available mason bee nesting units, pieces of bamboo from our garden, rolled pieces of parchment paper for Mason Bees, and pieces of pine branch for Carpenter Bees.  

A Bee & Bee

Golden Goose Award

2016: The Honey Bee Algorithm

Bumble Bee Endangered

ABC News cites Bumble Bee on Endangered Species list

Native Bee Resource

Native Bees of North America

Native bees are an unappreciated treasure, with 4,000 species from tiny Perdita to large carpenter bees, they can be found anywhere in North America where flowers bloom. Most people don’t realize that there were no honey bees in America until the white settlers brought hives from Europe. These resourceful insects promptly managed to escape domestication, forming swarms and setting up housekeeping in hollow trees, other cavities or even exposed to the elements just as they had been doing in their native lands. Native pollinators, in particular bees, had been doing all the pollination in this continent before the arrival of that import from the Old World. They continue to do a great deal of it, especially when it comes to native plants.

See Bugguide.net