Bees, wasps and other pollinators will be the topic of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on September 12, at Wilson College in Franklin County.

This is the fourth year for the South Mountain Speakers Series, envisioned as a revival of the talks given by Joseph Rothrock in the late 19th century as part of his work to preserve and restore Pennsylvania’s forests and natural landscape.

September’s discussion, entitled "Bee Well: Native Pollinators and the Working Landscapes of South Mountain,” begins at 7 p.m. in the Brooks Science Center Auditorium, at Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg.  It is free and open to the public.

“Bees, wasps and other native pollinators provide critical services to the South Mountain ecosystems,” Allen Dieterich-Ward, associate professor of history at Shippensburg University and the chair of the committee on the speaker series, said. “We invite citizens to learn more about the pollinators of our region and what we can do to help maintain and increase populations of these essential insects.”

The lecture will be given by Alex Surciča, horticultural consultant with the Cumberland Valley Cooperative Association. 

Following his talk, he’ll be joined on a panel by Connie Schmotzer, Penn State Cooperative Extension educator in York County, and Margaret Eppig, director of Middle School Programs for the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation.

The lecture is sponsored by Wilson College, Cumberland Valley Cooperative Association, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the South Mountain Partnership.

Next Program October 24

The remaining lecture this year will be held October 24 at Shippensburg University and will focus on “Crimes Against Nature: Conservation Law and the History of Wildlife Protection in the South Mountain Region.”

The South Mountain Partnership is a group of citizens, businesses, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and government representatives in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties, working together to protect and enhance the landscape.

The partnership was sparked by DCNR’s Conservation Landscape Initiative, an effort to engage communities, local partners and state agencies and identify funding opportunities to conserve high-quality natural and cultural resources while enhancing the region’s economic viability.

South Mountain is a 400,000-acre region that lies at the northern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Some of the earlier lectures in the speaker series can now be found on YouTube.

For more information about the speaker series, visit the South Mountain Partnership blog or call the Appalachian Trail Conservancy at 717-258-5771.

9/2/2013