Anyone interested in bees or beekeeping is invited to attend the University of Wyoming Extension’s 2025 Wyoming Bee College, to be held Saturday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Oct. 26. The conference will take place at UW’s Casper facilities, located on the third and fourth floors of the Casper College Student Union at 1910 Lisco Drive.
The Wyoming Bee College is designed for people of all ages and skill levels. It addresses beekeeping skills, bee behavior, specialty products, native bee research, and more.
“The Wyoming Bee College provides an opportunity for new and intermediate beekeepers to learn from experienced beekeepers,” says Amy Smith, Goshen County extension educator. “It also provides a venue for beekeepers of all experience [levels] to connect and network, building a bigger, more robust beekeeping network.”
Smith and Donna Hoffman, state coordinator of the Master Gardener program, are co-chairing the conference this year.
Speakers include Patrick Byers, who will speak about the Heroes to Hives program during Saturday’s keynote speech. The Heroes to Hives program seeks to improve the financial and personal wellness of veterans through free professional training and community development centered around beekeeping.
Sunday’s keynote, delivered by Dale Heggem, assistant manager of technical services for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, will cover Wyoming beekeeping regulations.
Participants can sign up for the beginner, intermediate, or advanced tracks, which address different topics and run concurrently. The beginner track is appropriate for those who have a year or less of experience, including interested parties who do not own bees. The advanced track is only offered on Sunday.
This year, the conference will also include one-day pollinator and youth tracks. The youth track will include several hands-on workshops and will take place on Saturday. The pollinator track is designed for participants who want to learn about native Wyoming bees and pollinator-friendly spaces and will take place on Sunday.
The cost is $130 to attend Saturday’s events and $90 for Sunday’s events, or $200 for both days. One youth under the age of 18 may attend for free if they are accompanying a paying adult; additional children must pay for a separate ticket.
To purchase tickets, visit wyomingbeecollege.org. Registration closes Friday, Oct. 17.
Participants can check in for the conference between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. The day’s events will conclude with a vendor reception, which will run from 5-7 p.m.
On Sunday, check in will begin at 7 a.m. and presentations will end at 4:30 p.m. Lunches, snacks, and beverages will be provided during both days of the conference and are included in the registration fee.
For conference attendees from out of town, a block of rooms has been reserved at the C’mon Inn of Casper, located at 301 East Lathrop Road in Evansville.
To view a full schedule of events for each track, visit wyomingbeecollege.org. For more information, contact Smith at asmit207@uwyo.edu or (307) 532-2436.
