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become a member
The Sonoma County Beekeepers Association is the largest community beekeeping organization on the west coast. We have been around for nearly thirty years and have the collective experience and knowledge of hundreds of beekeepers.
Each year we create and expand pollinator habitats by planting thousands of pollinator-friendly flowering plants, catch and safely relocate hundreds of swarms to new hives, and deliver hundreds of educational presentations to our community. This is accomplished through the effort of our amazing members who volunteer their time to the association.
membership benefits
Being a member of Sonoma County Beekeepers Association gives you access to educational opportunities and members only events – monthly cafes, workshops, and hive dives that provide an education about sustainable beekeeping practices; garden digs and propagation workshops that provide pollinator plants throughout our community to provide forage based nutrients to all pollinators; opportunities to give back to the community through education programs, community outreach at events, and pollinator garden projects; as well as our annual Spring Fling, Cluster Picnics, and Holiday Party which are member only events.
In addition to our educational programs, we offer free memberships to students and have scholarship programs for people experiencing financial hardship (membership is not denied due to lack of funds, everyone is welcome)
Membership/Internal--- your membership gives you access to the following:
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Monthly general meetings with educational and networking opportunities
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Monthly educational forums for new and seasoned beekeepers
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Local cluster support (our county is broken up into 5 smaller groups (clusters) - Central, East, North, South, West). Clusters provide support through meetings with presentations and beekeeping and gardening workshops, hives dives, garden digs mentoring and advice. Smaller clusters allow us to focus on the microclimates within each of those regions
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Multiple hands-on educational opportunities including hive dives, beekeeping workshops, garden digs and propagation workshops
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Annual Spring Fling with educational workshops and lunch
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Annual Cluster Picnics
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Annual Holiday Party
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Access to the SCBA library with educational books and DVDs available to borrow
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Access to private Facebook groups for additional support
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Subscription to our monthly online newsletter The Extractor
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Volunteer, Outreach, and Leadership opportunities (board, admin, education, gardening)
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A culture of mentorship and support
Community/External--- your membership dues provide the community with the following benefits:
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Supporting/installing local pollinator habitat
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Educational outreach into schools, libraries, events, and other organizations
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Interacting and cooperating with other organizations
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Raising awareness in our community about the needs of honey bees, native bees, and other pollinators
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
SCBA Membership: $100/year
By becoming an SCBA Member you get all the benefits listed above and enjoy being a part of a community working together to better our environment for bees, pollinators, and people.
SCBA Membership Dues cover about 50% of our administrative costs (including facilities, insurance, event costs, speaker presentations, and supplies) and educational programs, the rest comes through donations, sponsorship, and fundraising.
By contributing an additional donation to your membership dues, you are providing additional support to SCBA education and pollinator garden programs
Local Beekeeper and Nursery Business Membership: $300/year
Our Sonoma County beekeepers and gardeners require local business to help us develop our craft and care for our bees. We wish to honor these local businesses with a special membership category of their own! Please note that this membership category is reserved only for local businesses that directly provide beekeeping supplies/services or nurseries.
In addition to a general Members, Business Membership includes:
- Monthly mentions in our newsletter The Extractor
- Ongoing link on our website
- Mentions on our social media accounts which have over a thousand followers
- Invitation to display your product at monthly general meetings
- Invitation to showcase your business at the one general meeting that will focus on our business members
- Display your information in the SCBA office
- With an in-kind donation, for events and raffles, potential to receive credit up to 50% for renewal
Local Small Business Membership: $300/year
Small businesses are the heart of Sonoma County. We wish to honor these local businesses with a special membership category of their own! Please note that this membership category is reserved only for local businesses.
In addition to a general Members, Business Membership includes:
- Monthly mentions in our newsletter The Extractor
- Ongoing link on our website
- Mentions on our social media accounts which have over a thousand followers
- Invitation to showcase your business at the one general meeting that will focus on our business members
Students: FREE
Free membership for all students – High School, Junior College, University.
- Fill out the application
- Email a copy of your Student ID to membership@sonomabees.org
We never turn anyone away for lack of funds.
If you wish to be a member, but cannot afford the dues due to financial hardship, email membership@sonomabees.org
Thank you for your interest and support!
Need to renew? Click here to be taken to your profile.