Meet Plum Creek Nature Center’s New Beekeeper
The Forest Preserve District of Will County has welcomed a new beekeeper to Plum Creek Nature Center, and he’s ready to share his passion with the public.
Dade Bradley of Wilmington, who began beekeeping as a college freshman and is now pursuing a graduate degree at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden, has been hired to care for the live observational hive at the nature center and lead the District’s monthly Meet a Beekeeper programs.
The next session is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 7, at the nature center, 27064 S. Dutton Road, Beecher. The program is free and open to all ages.
Bradley discovered beekeeping while studying biology at Blackburn College, where he quickly went from curious observer to helping manage more than 20 hives.
“They’re not as scary as you think,” he said of bees. “They’re really fascinating creatures — way smarter than people give them credit for.”
At each Meet a Beekeeper session, Bradley will be available to answer questions, explain hive activity and share fun facts about bees, from how they communicate to how honey is made.
“I love talking to folks about bees, especially people who come wanting to learn about them,” he said.