The Beekeeper's Guild of Santa Barbara
As one of the largest supporting networks for beekeepers in the Tri-Counties, the Santa Barbara Beekeeper's Guild partners with researchers, industry experts, exhibitors and your fellow beekeepers to bring you all of the latest in best practices, bee health and how you can become a backyard beekeeper.
Membership in the Beekeeper's Guild supports Santa Barbara Tri-Counties bees and beekeepers. Since 2007, The Guild has coordinated with over 20 schools and local organizations to provide support, education, and resources for young and emerging beekeepers around the state. The Guild is a voice of beekeepers in Santa Barbara area, working closely with local beekeepers and policymakers to promote safe and engaging ways in which we can educate our communities about the dangers of pesticides and the importance of planting bee friendly gardens, the first and best step to keep our ecosystems thriving.
Your support and membership of the Beekeeper's Guild helps support its activities, including:
- visiting local schools and organizations to teach beekeeping and the safety.
- printed materials to promote honey bees, bee friendly plants and bee health.
- bringing in local citizen expertise to teach ways to battle honey bee pests.
- monthly beekeeping meetups where we bring in nationally renowned speakers, authors and dozens of vendors to educate and serve hundreds of beekeepers.
- active part of working with state and city wide guidelines to promote the safety and care of the bees.
- annual fall harvest festival that brings beekeepers together from all around the state.
The Beekeeper's Guild of Santa Barbara supports beekeepers and beekeeping. You membership helps support the Guild.
Meet the board of directors
Laurie Rasmussen
Laurie Rasmussen
Laurie Rasmussen
Laurie was introduced to the magic of honey bees as child while gazing through the glass walls of an observation hive and immediately knew she would one day keep bees. In 2016 she started with her first colony and now cares for numerous hives around Santa Barbara. A constant learner, she has been studying the Master Beekeeper Program, earning her Apprentice certificate through the University of California at Davis and her Journeyman certificate from the University of Montana. In her role as President of the Beekeeper’s Guild of Santa Barbara she is passionate about education and giving presentations to area schools, bringing live bees into the classroom. Observing her colonies throughout the cycles of the year brings new perspectives and gives her an even greater appreciation for these buzzy little miracles of our natural world.
Pamela Wilkinson
Laurie Rasmussen
Laurie Rasmussen
Pam is an organic gardener who was introduced to beekeeping when her then-12-year-old son wanted a hive. After he went to college, a swarm took up residence in the old hives and bees have been in the yard ever since, bringing us joy and honey.
Barbara Hughes
Laurie Rasmussen
Juanita Collins
Barbara began her love affair with bees in 2010 when she saw an advertisement for a beekeeping class offered by a local beekeeper and thought it sounded interesting. Little did she know how it would change her perceptions of the natural world. Now she gets to share that love with kids throughout Santa Barbara teaching them about the importance and magic of bees.
Juanita Collins
Isabella Grossman
Juanita Collins
Juanita has lived in Santa Barbara for over twenty-five years and has kept
bees for the last seven. She has had up to ten hives which produced over
twenty gallons of honey in 2019. After taking Apprentice and Journeyman
classes online from the University of Montana, she has received her
Journeyman certificate for beekeeping. The next challenge she looks forward
to is to study with the University of Montana once again to work towards her
Masters in Beekeeping.
Tami Jauchen
Isabella Grossman
Isabella Grossman
Tami was looking forward to beekeeping when she retired but Mother Nature had another plan! When a swarm arrived in her yard in 2010, she figured she better get busy and learn what it took to take care of them. A decade later she is stIll enjoying learning which has led her on the path to becoming one of California's Master Beekeepers. Tami serves as the Education Director on the Board of Directors for the Beekeeper's Guild of Santa Barbara and she looks forward to bringing a diverse group of speakers to share their varied knowledge and experience with our local "beeks."
Isabella Grossman
Isabella Grossman
Isabella Grossman
Isabella is a current freshman at UCSB and has been a beekeeper for 6 years. In High School she founded a beekeeping and environmental conservation club and worked to spread awareness about pollinators in her hometown in Texas. She is currently interning as the Beekeeper's Guild of Santa Barbara's newsletter and website editor and is looking forward to getting involved within the Beekeeping community!
Danielle Bushar
Danielle Bushar
Danielle Bushar
Danielle is an enthusiastic member of the Beekeepers Guild. She keeps several of her own hives and enjoys being a helping hand for other beekeepers. Beekeeping was first introduced to her by a relative on a trip to Italy in 1986. She instantly felt a connection with the honey bee. In 2018 she took her first steps towards beekeeping, taking a beginner beekeeping class and started caring for her own hive. To advance her knowledge of bee keeping she enrolled in the UC Davis master beekeeping course where she completed the apprentice beekeeper level in fall 2021. After finishing her course she attended a bee convention where she acquainted herself with several members of the Beekeepers Guild. As a result she decided to become more active in the Guild and has formed invaluable relationships with fellow beekeepers. She is excited to be part of the Beekeepers Guild community and is delighted to have the opportunity to learn from and help fellow beekeepers.