On Tuesday, January 31, at 7 p.m., Dyck Arboretum of the Plains will kick off a busy season of educational events, first featuring as part of our Winter Lecture Series, “Attracting Bees and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants,” presented by Heather Holm.

The lecture will take place via Zoom and participants can register for $5 at dyckarboretum.square.site/classes.

Author of “Pollinators of Native Plants,” Holm will cover how native plants can be selected to attract specific bees and beneficial insects including predatory and parasitic wasps, beetles, flies, true bugs and lacewings. Participants will learn about the predator-prey relationships of these beneficial insects and how they help keep problem insect populations in balance. Holm will also cover the life cycles, diversity and nesting habitat of native bees with examples of native plants for different site conditions.

The Winter Lecture Series will return to in person gatherings at the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains Prairie Pavilion on February 28 with Public Land Manager Jason Black presenting on “McPherson Valley Wetlands: Past, Present and Future” and conclude on March 28 with Dr. Jackie Augustine, executive director of Audubon of Kansas presenting on “Home on the Range: Breeding Biology of Prairie Chickens.”

In addition, arboretum staff will host a Native Plant School beginning February 9, including a variety of classes about landscaping with native plants. Classes are $5 each and participants can register at dyckarboretum.square.site/classes.